1 וַיְהִי־אִישׁ מֵהַר־אֶפְרָיִם וּשְׁמֹו מִיכָיְהוּ | 1 There was a man in the mountain region of Ephraim whose name was Micah. |
2 וַיֹּאמֶר לְאִמֹּו אֶלֶף וּמֵאָה הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר לֻקַּח־לָךְ [וְאַתִּי כ] (וְאַתְּ ק) אָלִית וְגַם אָמַרְתְּ בְּאָזְנַי הִנֵּה־הַכֶּסֶף אִתִּי אֲנִי לְקַחְתִּיו וַתֹּאמֶר אִמֹּו בָּרוּךְ בְּנִי לַיהוָה | 2 He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver over which you pronounced a curse in my hearing when they were taken from you, are in my possession. It was I who took them; so now I will restore them to you." |
3 וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת־אֶלֶף־וּמֵאָה הַכֶּסֶף לְאִמֹּו וַתֹּאמֶר אִמֹּו הַקְדֵּשׁ הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף לַיהוָה מִיָּדִי לִבְנִי לַעֲשֹׂות פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה וְעַתָּה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ לָךְ | 3 When he restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she took two hundred of them and gave them to the silversmith, who made of them a carved idol overlaid with silver. |
4 וַיָּשֶׁב אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף לְאִמֹּו וַתִּקַּח אִמֹּו מָאתַיִם כֶּסֶף וַתִּתְּנֵהוּ לַצֹּורֵף וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ פֶּסֶל וּמַסֵּכָה וַיְהִי בְּבֵית מִיכָיְהוּ | 4 Then his mother said, "May the LORD bless my son! I have consecrated the silver to the LORD as my gift in favor of my son, by making a carved idol overlaid with silver." It remained in the house of Micah. |
5 וְהָאִישׁ מִיכָה לֹו בֵּית אֱלֹהִים וַיַּעַשׂ אֵפֹוד וּתְרָפִים וַיְמַלֵּא אֶת־יַד אַחַד מִבָּנָיו וַיְהִי־לֹו לְכֹהֵן | 5 Thus the layman Micah had a sanctuary. He also made an ephod and household idols, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. |
6 בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין מֶלֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו יַעֲשֶׂה׃ פ | 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best. |
7 וַיְהִי־נַעַר מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה מִמִּשְׁפַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְהוּא לֵוִי וְהוּא גָר־שָׁם | 7 There was a young Levite who had resided within the tribe of Judah at Bethlehem of Judah. |
8 וַיֵּלֶךְ הָאִישׁ מֵהָעִיר מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא וַיָּבֹא הַר־אֶפְרַיִם עַד־בֵּית מִיכָה לַעֲשֹׂות דַּרְכֹּו | 8 From that city he set out to find another place of residence. On his journey he came to the house of Micah in the mountain region of Ephraim. |
9 וַיֹּאמֶר־לֹו מִיכָה מֵאַיִן תָּבֹוא וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו לֵוִי אָנֹכִי מִבֵּית לֶחֶם יְהוּדָה וְאָנֹכִי הֹלֵךְ לָגוּר בַּאֲשֶׁר אֶמְצָא | 9 Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" He answered him, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and am on my way to find some other place of residence." |
10 וַיֹּאמֶר לֹו מִיכָה שְׁבָה עִמָּדִי וֶהְיֵה־לִי לְאָב וּלְכֹהֵן וְאָנֹכִי אֶתֶּן־לְךָ עֲשֶׂרֶת כֶּסֶף לַיָּמִים וְעֵרֶךְ בְּגָדִים וּמִחְיָתֶךָ וַיֵּלֶךְ הַלֵּוִי | 10 "Stay with me," Micah said to him. "Be father and priest to me, and I will give you ten silver shekels a year, a set of garments, and your food." |
11 וַיֹּואֶל הַלֵּוִי לָשֶׁבֶת אֶת־הָאִישׁ וַיְהִי הַנַּעַר לֹו כְּאַחַד מִבָּנָיו | 11 So the young Levite decided to stay with the man, to whom he became as one of his own sons. |
12 וַיְמַלֵּא מִיכָה אֶת־יַד הַלֵּוִי וַיְהִי־לֹו הַנַּעַר לְכֹהֵן וַיְהִי בְּבֵית מִיכָה | 12 Micah consecrated the young Levite, who became his priest, remaining in his house. |
13 וַיֹּאמֶר מִיכָה עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־יֵיטִיב יְהוָה לִי כִּי הָיָה־לִי הַלֵּוִי לְכֹהֵן | 13 Therefore Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, since the Levite has become my priest." |