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Micah’s Idolatry

17 Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. He said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and spoke of it [a]in my hearing, behold, the silver is with me; it was I who took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by Yahweh.” And he then returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I wholly set apart the silver from my hand as holy to Yahweh for my son (A)to make a graven image and a molten image; so now I will return [b]them to you.” So he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith. And he made [c]them into a graven image and a molten image, and [d]they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a [e](B)shrine, and he made an (C)ephod and [f](D)household idols and [g]ordained one of his sons, (E)and he became his priest. In those days (F)there was no king in Israel; (G)every man did what was right in his own eyes.

And there was a young man from (H)Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was sojourning there. Then the man went from the city, from Bethlehem in Judah, to sojourn wherever he might find a place; and as he made his journey, he came to the (I)hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. And 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 sojourn wherever I may find a place.” 10 Micah then said to him, “Remain with me and be (J)a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was willing to remain with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 So Micah [h]ordained the Levite, and the young man (K)became his priest and [i]lived in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will prosper me because I have a Levite as priest.”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 17:2 Lit in my ears
  2. Judges 17:3 Lit it
  3. Judges 17:4 Lit it
  4. Judges 17:4 Lit it was
  5. Judges 17:5 Lit house of gods
  6. Judges 17:5 Heb teraphim
  7. Judges 17:5 Lit filled the hand of
  8. Judges 17:12 Lit filled the hand of
  9. Judges 17:12 Lit was

Micah and the Levite

17 There was a man of the hill country of E′phraim, whose name was Micah. And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver which 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.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, “I consecrate 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.” So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a graven image and a molten image; and it was in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and installed one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there. And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah, to live where he could find a place; and as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of E′phraim to the house of Micah. And Micah said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, and a suit of apparel, and your living.”[a] 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 17:10 Heb living, and the Levite went