Judges 17

1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim named Micah.

2 He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears—behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless my son!”

And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver which were taken from you, about which you took an oath and said in my hearing, I have given this silver to the Lord from my hand for myself, to make a pictured image and a metal image: see, I have the silver, for I took it: so now I will give it back to you. And his mother said, May the blessing of the Lord be on my son.

3 He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”

And he gave back the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, and his mother said, I have made the silver holy to the Lord from me for my son, to make a pictured image and a metal image.

4 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image out of it. It was in the house of Micah.

So he gave the silver back to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a metal-worker who made a pictured image and a metal image from them: and it was in the house of Micah.

5 The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

And the man Micah had a house of gods; and he made an ephod and family gods and put one of his sons in the position of priest.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did as seemed right to him.

7 There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.

Now there was a young man living in Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah and a Levite, who was not a townsman of the place.

8 The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he traveled.

And he went away from the town of Beth-lehem-judah, looking for somewhere to make his living-place; and on his journey he came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah.

9 Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”

And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite from Beth-lehem-judah, and I am looking for a living-place.

10 Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food.” So the Levite went in.

Then Micah said to him, Make your living-place with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver a year and your clothing and food.

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

And the Levite said he would make his living-place with the man, and he became to him as one of his sons.

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

And Micah gave the position to the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”

Then Micah said, Now I am certain that the Lord will do me good, seeing that the Levite has become my priest.