1Havia um homem chamado Mica, dos montes de Efraim,2que disse certa vez à sua mãe: “Os treze quilos[1] de prata que foram roubados de você e pelos quais eu a ouvi pronunciar uma maldição, na verdade a prata está comigo; eu a peguei”. Disse-lhe sua mãe: “O SENHOR o abençoe, meu filho!”3Quando ele devolveu os treze quilos de prata à mãe, ela disse: “Consagro solenemente a minha prata ao SENHOR para que o meu filho faça uma imagem esculpida e um ídolo de metal. Eu a devolvo a você”.4Mas ele devolveu a prata à sua mãe, e ela separou dois quilos e quatrocentos gramas, e os deu a um ourives, que deles fez a imagem e o ídolo. E estes foram postos na casa de Mica.5Ora, esse homem, Mica, possuía um santuário, fez um manto sacerdotal e alguns ídolos da família e pôs um dos seus filhos como seu sacerdote.6Naquela época, não havia rei em Israel; cada um fazia o que lhe parecia certo.7Um jovem levita de Belém de Judá, procedente do clã de Judá,8saiu daquela cidade em busca de outro lugar para morar. Em sua viagem[2], chegou à casa de Mica, nos montes de Efraim.9Mica lhe perguntou: “De onde você vem?” “Sou levita, de Belém de Judá”, respondeu ele. “Estou procurando um lugar para morar.”10“Fique comigo”, disse-lhe Mica. “Seja meu pai e sacerdote, e eu darei a você cento e vinte gramas de prata por ano, roupas e comida.”11O jovem levita concordou em ficar com Mica, e tornou-se como um dos seus filhos.12Mica acolheu o levita, e o jovem se tornou seu sacerdote, e ficou morando em sua casa.13E Mica disse: “Agora sei que o SENHOR me tratará com bondade, pois esse levita se tornou meu sacerdote”.
1There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. (Js 24:33; Jz 17:8; Jz 18:2)2And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” (Rt 3:10; 1 Sm 15:13)3And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” (Ex 20:4; Lv 19:4)4So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. (Is 46:6)5And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained[1] one of his sons, who became his priest. (Gn 31:19; Ex 28:6; Jz 8:27; Jz 17:12; Jz 18:14; Jz 18:17; 1 Rs 13:33; Os 3:4)6In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Dt 12:8; Jz 18:1; Jz 19:1; Jz 21:25)7Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. (Jz 19:1; Rt 1:1; Mq 5:2; Mt 2:1; Mt 2:5)8And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. (Js 24:33)9And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.”10And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. (Jz 18:19)11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. (Ex 2:21)12And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. (Jz 17:5; Jz 18:30)13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”