Judges 17

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

And there was a man of the mountain of Ephraim, whose name was Michayhu.

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 spokest of also in my ears, —behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son unto the Lord.

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 restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the Lord from my hand, for my son, to make a graven and molten image; and now I will give it back 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 gave the money back unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the silversmith, who made thereof a graven and molten image; 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 god, and he 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: every man did what seemed 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 Beth-lechem-judah of the family of Judah, but he was a Levite, and 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 from the city, from Beth-lechem-judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place]; and he came to the mountain of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he was pursuing his journey.

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 from Beth-lechem-judah, 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, Remain with me, and become unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver for the year, and suitable apparel, and thy victuals. And 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 consented 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 remained 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 I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have obtained a Levite for priest.