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

Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2 H e said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless my son!”

And 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!”

3 H e restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make an engraved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”

So 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.”

4 W hen he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made an engraved image and a molten image out of it. It was in the house of Micah.

Thus 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.

5 T he man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

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

6 I n those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

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

7 T here was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.

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

8 T he man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he traveled.

The 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.

9 M icah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”

And 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.”

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

Micah 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.

11 T he Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

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

12 M icah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was 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 know I that Yahweh will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”

Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!”