1
There was a man named Micah who lived in the hill country where the tribe of Ephraim live.
2
One day he said to his mother, “I heard you curse whoever stole eleven hundred pieces of silver from your house. I am the one who took the silver, and I still have it.” His mother replied, “My son, I pray that Yahweh will bless you.”
3
Micah gave all the silver back to his mother. Then she said to herself, “I will give this silver to Yahweh. I will have someone make a carved figure and a cast figure from this silver.”
4
After he gave the silver to his mother, she took two hundred pieces and gave them to a metal worker. With the silver that man made a carved figure and a cast metal figure, and gave them to Micah. Micah put them in his house.
5
He had a house in which he worshiped his idols. He made a vest that was worn by priests, and some household idols and Micah gave one of his sons the task of being the priest for all his idols.
6
At that time, Israel did not have a king, and everyone did what was right, as they saw it.
7
There was a young man who had been living in Bethlehem in the area where the tribe of Judah lives. He wanted to work as a priest because he was a member of the tribe of Levi.
8
So he left Bethlehem to find another place to live and work. He came to Micah’s house in the hill country where the tribe of Ephraim lived.
9
Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I come from Bethlehem. I am from the tribe of Levi, and I am looking for a place to live and work as a priest.”
10
Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and you can advise me and be my priest. Each year I will give to you ten pieces of silver and some new clothes. And I will provide food for you.”
11
So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.
12
Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.
13
Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good things for me, because I have a man from the tribe of Levi to be my priest.”
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