Judges 17

There was a man whose name was Micah who lived in the hilly area that belongs to the tribe of Ephraim.

One day he said to his mother, “Someone stole 1, 100 pieces of silver from your house. I heard you ask God to make bad things happen to whoever did that. I confess that I took that silver, and I still have it.” His mother replied, “My son, may God do good things for you {because you admitted this}!” \*

Micah gave the 1,100 pieces of silver back to his mother. Then she said, “I am dedicating some of this silver to God. I am giving it to you, my son, so that you can have someone mold a figure from it. I will give you enough silver to do that.”

When Micah gave the silver pieces back to his mother, she took 200 of them and gave them to a metal worker. That man made a molded figure with the silver. Then he gave the figure to Micah. Micah kept it in his home. \*

Micah made a shrine in which he worshiped idols. He made the kind of vest that priests wear. He also made some small, personal idols. Micah appointed one of his sons to be his priest at this shrine.

At that time, Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what they thought they should do. \*

There was a young man who had been living in the town of Bethlehem where people from the tribe of Judah live. He belonged to the tribe of Levi, but he had been living temporarily in the territory that Joshua had assigned to the tribe of Judah.

Then he left Bethlehem to look for another place to live. As he was looking, he came to Micah’s house in the hilly area that belongs to the tribe of Ephraim.

Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I have come from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah. I belong to the tribe of Levi, and I am looking for a new place to live for a while.” \*

Micah told him, “You may live in my house with me. You can advise me and be my priest. Each year I will give to you ten pieces of silver and some new clothes. I will also provide food for you.” So the Levite stayed there.

The Levite agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of his own sons. \*

Micah appointed the Levite to be his priest, and he lived on Micah’s property.

Then Micah said, “Now I know that God will do good things for me, because I have a Levite as my priest.” \*