Judges 17

1 There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Micah.

Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2 He said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you spoke a curse, and which I heard—look here! I have the silver with me. I stole it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless you, my son!”

And he said unto his mother: 'The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.' And his mother said: 'Blessed be my son of the LORD.'

3 He restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother and his mother said, “I set apart this silver to Yahweh, for my son to make carved and cast metal figures. So now, I restore it to you.”

And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said: 'I verily dedicate the silver unto the LORD 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 metal worker who made them into carved and cast metal figures, and they were placed in the house of Micah.

And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image; and it was in the house of Micah.

5 The man Micah had a house of idols and he made an ephod and household gods, and he hired one of his sons to become 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, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

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

7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah, who was a Levite. He stayed there to fulfill his duties.

And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem in Judah — in the family of Judah — who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

8 The man left Bethlehem in Judah to go and find a place to live. As he journeyed, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.

And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem in Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

9 Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” The man said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am traveling to find a place where I might live.”

And Micah said unto him: 'Whence comest thou?' And he said unto him: 'I am a Levite of Beth-lehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.'

10 Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went into his house.

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

11 The Levite was content to live with the man, and the young man became to Micah like 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 set apart the Levite for sacred duties, and the young man became his priest, and was in Micah's house.

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 for me, because this Levite has become my priest.”

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