1 T here was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.

2 A nd he said to his mother, The 1, 100 shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed and also spoke about in my hearing, behold, I have the silver with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be you by the Lord, my son!

3 H e restored the 1, 100 shekels of silver to his mother, and she said, I had truly dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it to you.

4 S o when he restored the money to his mother, she took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, who made of it a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah.

5 A nd the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod and teraphim and dedicated one of his sons, who became his priest.

6 I n those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

7 A nd there was a young man in Bethlehem of Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.

8 A nd the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place, and as he journeyed he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah.

9 A nd Micah said to him, From where do you come? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

10 A nd 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 each year, a suit of clothes, and your living. So the Levite went in.

11 A nd the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to Micah as one of his sons.

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

13 T hen said Micah, Now I know that the Lord will favor me, since I have a Levite to be my priest.