Micah’s Idolatry

17 There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim; his name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, and about which you also pronounced a curse ⌊in my hearing⌋,a are with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by Yahweh.” 3 He returned the eleven hundred piecesb of silver to his mother, and his mother thought, “I will certainly consecrate to Yahweh the piecesc of silver from my hand for my son to make an idol of cast metal; now then, I will return themd to you.” 4 When he returned the piecese of silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred piecesf of silver, and she gave it to the smith, and he made it into an idol of cast metal; and it was in the house of Micah. 5 The man Micah had for himself ⌊a shrine⌋,g and he made an ephod and teraphim, and ⌊he appointed one of his sons⌋h who became a priest for him. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel, and each one did what was right in his own eyes.

7 There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the clan of Judah; he was a Levite and was dwelling as a foreigneri there. 8 And the man went from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to live as a foreignerj wherever he could find a place. And he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, to continue his journey. 9 And Micah said to him, “From where do you come?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah; I am going to dwell as a foreignerk wherever I can 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 to you ten piecesl of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went with him. 11 The Levite agreed to stay with the man; and the young man became as one of his sons. 12 So Micah ⌊appointed the Levite⌋,m and the young man became a priest for him; and he was in the house of Micah. 13 And Micah said, “Now I know Yahweh will make me prosperous, because the Levite has become my priest.”