Micah’s Idolatry
1 Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose namewasMicah.
2 And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundredshekelsof silver that were taken from you, and on which youput a curse, even saying it in my ears—hereisthe silver with me; I took it.”
# And his mother said,“Mayyoubeblessed by theLord, my son!”
3 So when he had returned the eleven hundredshekelsof silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to theLordfor my son, tomake a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.”
4 Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mothertook two hundredshekelsof 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.
5 The man Micah had ashrine, and made anephod andhousehold idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 In those daystherewasno king in Israel;everyone didwhatwasright in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man fromBethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; hewasa Levite, andwas staying there.
8 The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could findaplace.Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?”
So he said to him, “Iama Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to findaplaceto stay.”
10 Micah said to him, “Dwell with me,and be afather and a priest to me, and I will give you tenshekelsof 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 Micahconsecrated the Levite, and the young manbecame his priest, and lived in the house of Micah.
13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that theLordwill be good to me, since I have a Levite aspriest!”