Micah’s Idolatry

¹ 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⌟,¹ are with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by Yahweh.”

1. Literally “In my ears”

³ He returned the eleven hundred pieces¹ of silver to his mother, and his mother thought, “I will certainly consecrate to Yahweh the pieces² of silver from my hand for my son to make an idol of cast metal; now then, I will return them³ to you.”

1. Hebrew “piece”
2. Hebrew “piece”
3. Hebrew “it”

⁴ When he returned the pieces¹ of silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces² 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.

1. Hebrew “piece”
2. Hebrew “piece”

⁵ The man Micah had for himself ⌞a shrine⌟,¹ and he made an ephod and teraphim, and ⌞he appointed one of his sons⌟² who became a priest for him.

1. Literally “a house of god”
2. Literally “he filled the hand of one of his sons”

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 foreigner¹ there.

1. Or “alien”

⁸ And the man went from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to live as a foreigner¹ wherever he could find a place. And he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, to continue his journey.

1. Or “alien”

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 foreigner¹ wherever I can find a place.”

1. Or “alien”

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 pieces¹ of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went with him.

1. Hebrew “piece”

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⌟,¹ and the young man became a priest for him; and he was in the house of Micah.

1. Literally “filled the hand of the Levite”

¹³ And Micah said, “Now I know Yahweh will make me prosperous, because the Levite has become my priest.”