Judges 17

1 A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2 told his mother, “Those eleven hundred shekels of silver that were stolen from you and that I heard you curse—I've got the silver. I was the one who took it.” Then his mother said, “My son, the Lord bless you!”

And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you of the LORD, my son.

3 He gave back to his mother the eleven hundred shekels of silver. His mother announced, “I'm completely dedicating this money to the Lord. I'm handing it over to my son to have an idol carved, an image made with molten silver. So now I return it to you.”

And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to you.

4 After he'd returned the silver to his mother she gave two hundred shekels to a silversmith who made it into a carved idol, an image made with molten silver. They were kept in Micah's house.

Yet he restored the money to his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.

5 Micah had built a shrine for the idol. He also made an ephod and some household gods, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

7 One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,

And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

8 left Bethlehem to look for a different place to live. As he traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, he came to Micah's house.

And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

9 “Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” the man replied. “I'm looking for a place to live.”

And Micah said to him, From where come you? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

10 “Come and stay here with me. You can be my ‘father’ and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, plus your clothes and food.” So the Levite went inside

And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals. So the Levite went in.

11 and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.

And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

12 Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.

And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13 “I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.

Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.