Judges 17

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

And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was 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 unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of YHWH, 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 when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto YHWH from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.

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.

Yet he restored the money unto 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 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 an house of elohim, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his 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, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

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

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

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 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 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 unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a 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.

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

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 was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto 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 consecrated 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 said Micah, Now know I that YHWH will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.