Judges 17

1 And there is a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name [is] Micah,

There was at that time a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Michas,

2 and he saith to his mother, 'The eleven hundred silverlings which have been taken of thine, and [of which] thou hast sworn, and also spoken in mine ears; lo, the silver [is] with me, I have taken it;' and his mother saith, 'Blessed [is] my son of Jehovah.'

Who said to his mother: The eleven hundred pieces of silver, which thou hadst put aside for thyself, and concerning which thou didst swear in my hearing, behold I have, and they are with me. And she said to him: Blessed be my son by the Lord.

3 And he giveth back the eleven hundred silverlings to his mother, and his mother saith, 'I had certainly sanctified the silver to Jehovah, from my hand, for my son, to make a graven image, and a molten image; and now, I give it back to thee.'

So he restored them to his mother, who said to him: I have consecrated and vowed this silver to the Lord, that my son may receive it at my hand, and make a graven and a molten god, so now I deliver it to thee.

4 And he giveth back the money to his mother, and his mother taketh two hundred silverlings, and giveth them to a refiner, and he maketh them a graven image, and a molten image, and it is in the house of Micah.

And he restored them to his mother: and she took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, to make of them a graven and a molten god, which was in the house of Michas.

5 As to the man Micah, he hath a house of gods, and he maketh an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrateth the hand of one of his sons, and he is to him for a priest;

And he separated also therein a little temple for the god, and made an ephod, and theraphim, that is to say, a priestly garment, and idols: and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he became his priest.

6 in those days there is no king in Israel, each that which is right in his own eyes doth.

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every one did that which seemed right to himself.

7 And there is a young man of Beth-Lehem-Judah, of the family of Judah, and he [is] a Levite, and he [is] a sojourner there.

There was also another young man of Bethlehem Juda, of the kindred thereof: and he was a Levite, and dwelt there.

8 And the man goeth out of the city, out of Beth-Lehem-Judah, to sojourn where he doth find, and cometh to the hill-country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, to work his way.

Now he went out from the city of Bethlehem, and desired to sojourn wheresoever he should find it convenient for him. And when he was come to mount Ephraim, as he was on his journey, and had turned aside a little into the house of Michas,

9 And Micah saith to him, 'Whence comest thou?' and he saith unto him, 'A Levite [am] I, of Beth-Lehem-Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I do find.'

He was asked by him whence he came. And he answered: I am a Levite of Bethlehem Juda, and I am going to dwell where I can, and where I shall find a place to my advantage.

10 And Micah saith to him, 'Dwell with me, and be to me for a father and for a priest, and I give to thee ten silverlings for the days, and a suit of garments, and thy sustenance;' and the Levite goeth [in].

And Michas said: Stay with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee every year ten pieces of silver, and a double suit of apparel, and thy victuals.

11 And the Levite is willing to dwell with the man, and the young man is to him as one of his sons.

He was content, and abode with the man, and was unto him as one of his sons.

12 And Micah consecrateth the hand of the Levite, and the young man is to him for a priest, and he is in the house of Micah,

And Michas filled his hand, and had the young man with him, for his priest, saying:

13 and Micah saith, 'Now I have known that Jehovah doth good to me, for the Levite hath been to me for a priest.'

Now I know God will do me good, since I have a priest of the race of the Levites.