JudgesChapter 17
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1There was a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim. 2He said to his mother, "Someone took 1,100 shekels of silver from you. I heard you put a curse on the one who took it. Well, I have the silver here with me. I took it." Then his mother said, "May the LORD bless you, my son!"a 3So he gave the 1,100 shekels of silver back to his mother. She said, "I give this silver fully to the LORD for my son. It will be used to make a carved idol and a metal idol. So now I'll give it back to you." 4But he gave the silver back to his mother. So she took 200 shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith. He made them into a carved idol and a metal idol. They were put in Micah's house.b 5This man Micah had a shrine for worship. He made an ephod and some household idols. He also chose one of his sons and set him apart to be his priest. 6In those days Israel had no king. Everyone did whatever seemed right to them. 7There was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. He had been living among the clan of Judah. 8This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah. He was looking for a place to live. As he traveled, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. 9"Where are you from?" Micah asked him. "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he answered. "I'm going to live wherever I can find a place." 10"Stay with me," Micah said to him. "Be my father and my priest. I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year. I'll also give you clothes and food." So the Levite went in.c 11He agreed to stay with Micah. And the young man became like one of Micah's sons. 12Micah set the Levite apart, and the young man became his priest. He lived in Micah's house. 13Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest."