1 N ow there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

¶ And there was a man of Mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2 A nd he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “ May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!”

And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were stolen from thee, about which thou didst curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.

3 S o when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.”

And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had completely dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for thee, my son, to make thee a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will restore it unto thee.

4 T hus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah.

After the money was restored unto her, his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image, which was set up in the house of Micah.

5 T he man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

And the man Micah had a brothel of idolatry, and made an ephod and teraphim and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

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

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

7 N ow there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there.

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

8 T he man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

And the man had departed out of the city from Bethlehem of Judah to sojourn where he could find a place, and he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah as he journeyed.

9 A nd Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” So he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to find a place to stay.”

And Micah said unto him, From where hast thou come? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem of Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

10 M icah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in.

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

11 T hen the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him.

And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

12 S o Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived 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 T hen Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!”

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