Judg 17 | LEB | STEP | There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim; his name was Micah.

Judges 17

Micah’s Idolatry

1 There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim; his name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, and about which you also pronounced a curse ⌞in my hearing⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “In my ears”} are with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by Yahweh.” 3 He returned the eleven hundred pieces ^{▼▼Hebrew “piece”} of silver to his mother, and his mother thought, “I will certainly consecrate to Yahweh the pieces ^{▼▼Hebrew “piece”} of silver from my hand for my son to make an idol of cast metal; now then, I will return them ^{▼▼Hebrew “it”} to you.” 4 When he returned the pieces ^{▼▼Hebrew “piece”} of silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces ^{▼▼Hebrew “piece”} of silver, and she gave it to the smith, and he made it into an idol of cast metal; and it was in the house of Micah. 5 The man Micah had for himself ⌞a shrine⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “a house of god”} and he made an ephod and teraphim, and ⌞he appointed one of his sons⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “he filled the hand of one of his sons”} who became a priest for him. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, and each one did what was right in his own eyes.

7 There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the clan of Judah; he was a Levite and was dwelling as a foreigner ^{▼▼Or “alien”} there. 8 And the man went from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to live as a foreigner ^{▼▼Or “alien”} wherever he could find a place. And he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, to continue his journey. 9 And Micah said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah; I am going to dwell as a foreigner ^{▼▼Or “alien”} wherever I can find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give to you ten pieces ^{▼▼Hebrew “piece”} of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went with him. 11 The Levite agreed to stay with the man; and the young man became as one of his sons. 12 So Micah ⌞appointed the Levite⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “filled the hand of the Levite”} and the young man became a priest for him; and he was in the house of Micah. 13 And Micah said, “Now I know Yahweh will make me prosperous, because the Levite has become my priest.”