Los ídolos de Micaías

17 En la región montañosa de Efraín había un hombre llamado Micaías, quien dijo a su madre:

—Con respecto a los mil siclos[a] de plata que te robaron y sobre los cuales te oí pronunciar una maldición, yo tengo esa plata; yo te la robé.

Su madre dijo:

—¡Que el Señor te bendiga, hijo mío!

Cuando Micaías devolvió a su madre los mil siclos de plata, ella dijo:

—Solemnemente consagro mi plata al Señor para que mi hijo haga una imagen tallada y un ídolo de fundición.[b] Ahora pues, te la devuelvo.

Cuando él le devolvió la plata a su madre, ella tomó doscientos siclos[c] de plata y se los dio a un platero, quien hizo con eso una imagen tallada y un ídolo de fundición, que fueron puestos en la casa de Micaías.

Este Micaías tenía un santuario. Hizo un efod y algunos ídolos familiares,[d] y consagró a uno de sus hijos como sacerdote. En aquella época no había rey en Israel; cada uno hacía lo que le parecía mejor.

Un joven levita, que vivía como extranjero en Belén de Judá, salió de aquella ciudad en busca de algún otro lugar donde vivir. En el curso de su viaje[e] llegó a la casa de Micaías en la región montañosa de Efraín.

—¿De dónde vienes? —preguntó Micaías.

—Soy levita, de Belén de Judá —contestó él—, y estoy buscando un lugar donde vivir.

10 —Vive conmigo —le propuso Micaías—, y sé mi padre y sacerdote; yo te daré diez siclos[f] de plata al año, además de ropa y comida.

11 El joven levita aceptó quedarse a vivir con él y fue para Micaías como uno de sus hijos. 12 Luego Micaías invistió al levita, y así el joven se convirtió en su sacerdote y vivió en su casa. 13 Y Micaías dijo: «Ahora sé que el Señor me hará prosperar, porque tengo a un levita como sacerdote».

Footnotes

  1. 17:2 Es decir, aprox. 12.6 kg; también en v. 3.
  2. 17:3 una … fundición. Alt. una imagen tallada revestida de metal fundido; también en v. 4 y 18:14.
  3. 17:4 Es decir, aprox. 2.3 kg.
  4. 17:5 ídolos familiares. Lit. terafines.
  5. 17:8 En el curso de su viaje. Alt. Para ejercer su oficio.
  6. 17:10 Es decir, aprox. 115 g.

Micah's idols

17 There was a man who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Micah. He said to his mother, ‘I know about the 1,100 pieces of silver that somebody took from you. You cursed the person who had robbed you and I heard you. Look! Here are the pieces of silver. I took them myself. But now I am giving them back to you.’

His mother said, ‘Thank you, my son. I pray that the Lord will bless you.’

When Micah gave the 1,100 pieces of silver back to his mother, she said, ‘I will now give this silver to the Lord. We will use it to make an image and a metal idol. In that way, I will give it back to you, my son.’

So Micah's mother took 200 pieces of silver. She gave them to a man who used silver to make things. He made an image and an idol for her. She put them in Micah's house.

Micah had a special room to worship his gods. He made an ephod and some more idols for it. He chose one of his sons to be a priest to serve his gods.

At that time, Israel had no king to rule over them. Everyone did what they thought was right.

Micah and the Levite

There was a young man who lived in Bethlehem, a town in Judah. He was a Levite. He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live. As he travelled in the hill country of Ephraim, he arrived at Micah's house.

Micah asked him, ‘Where have you come from?’ The man replied, ‘I am a Levite who was living in Bethlehem in Judah. Now I am looking for a new place to live.’ 10 Micah said, ‘Stay here with me. You will be my advisor and my priest. I will pay you ten pieces of silver each year, as well as your clothes and food.’

11 So the Levite agreed to stay with Micah. He became like a son for Micah. 12 Micah gave the young man what he needed. The Levite became Micah's priest and he lived in Micah's home. 13 Then Micah said, ‘Now I know that the Lord will bless me, because I have this Levite as my own priest.’

17 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my son.

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

Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.

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

In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

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

And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

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

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

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

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

Micah’s Idolatry

17 Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was (A)Micah. And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you (B)put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.”

And his mother said, (C)May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!” 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 (D)make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.” Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother (E)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.

The man Micah had a (F)shrine, and made an (G)ephod and (H)household[a] idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. (I)In those days there was no king in Israel; (J)everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Now there was a young man from (K)Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and (L)was staying there. 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. 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 Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, (M)and be a (N)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 Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. 12 So Micah (O)consecrated[b] the Levite, and the young man (P)became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as (Q)priest!”

Footnotes

  1. Judges 17:5 Heb. teraphim
  2. Judges 17:12 Lit. filled the hand of