Micah Makes His Own Religion

17:1 There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country. 17:2 He said to his mother, “You know1 the eleven hundred pieces of silver which were stolen2 from you, about which I heard you pronounce a curse? Look here, I have the silver. I stole3 it, but now I am giving it back to you.”4 His mother said, “May the Lord reward5 you, my son!” 17:3 When he gave back to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, “I solemnly dedicate6 this silver to the Lord. It will be for my son’s benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image.”7 17:4 When he gave the silver back to his mother, she8 took two hundred pieces of silver9 to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah’s house.10 17:5 Now this man Micah owned a shrine.11 He made an ephod12 and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest.13 17:6 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.14