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

Now there was a man of the hill country of 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!”

He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.”

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.”

He then returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will return them to you.”

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.

So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were 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 shrine and he made an ephod and household idols and consecrated one of his sons, that he might become 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; every man did what 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.

Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was staying 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.

Then the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem in Judah, to stay wherever he might find a place; and as he made his journey, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah.

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.”

Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to stay wherever 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.

Micah then said to him, “Dwell with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your maintenance.” 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.

The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became to him like 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.

So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived 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 I know that the Lord will prosper me, seeing I have a Levite as priest.”