Richter 17 | New International Reader’s Version

Micah’s false gods

1 A man named Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He said to his mother, ‘Someone took 13 kilograms of silver from you. I heard you curse the one who took it. I have the silver with me. I’m the one who took it.’ Then his mother said, ‘My son, may the LORD bless you!’ 3 He gave the 13 kilograms of silver back to his mother. She said to him, ‘I’m making a promise to set apart my silver to the LORD. My son, I want you to use it to cover a statue of a god made out of wood or stone. That’s why I’ll give the silver back to you.’ 4 Micah gave the silver back to his mother. Then she gave 2.5 kilograms of it to a skilled worker who made things out of silver. He used the silver for the statue. The statue was put in Micah’s house. 5 That same Micah had a small temple. He made a sacred linen apron and some statues of his family gods. He appointed one of his sons to serve as his priest. 6 In those days Israel didn’t have a king. The people did anything they thought was right. 7 A young Levite had been living in land that belonged to the tribe of Judah. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. 8 He left that town to look for some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah’s house. It was in the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I’m a Levite,’ he said. ‘I’m from Bethlehem in Judah. I’m looking for a place to stay.’ 10 Then Micah said to him, ‘Live with me. Be my father and priest. I’ll give you 120 grams of silver a year. I’ll also give you clothes and food.’ 11 So the Levite agreed to live with him. The young man became just like one of Micah’s sons to him. 12 Then Micah appointed the Levite to serve as his priest. He lived in Micah’s house. 13 Micah said, ‘Now I know that the LORD will be good to me. This Levite has become my priest.’

English Standard Version

Micah and the Levite

1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And 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.” 3 And 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.” 4 So 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. 5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained* one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. 7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And 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. 9 And 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.” 10 And 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. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”

Richter 17 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version

Micah’s false gods

Micah and the Levite