Judges 17

¹ There was a man in the mountain region of Ephraim whose name was Micah.

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 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 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 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 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what he thought best.

⁷ There was a young Levite who had resided within the tribe of Judah at Bethlehem of Judah.

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 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 "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 So the young Levite decided to stay with the man, to whom he became as one of his own sons.

¹² Micah consecrated the young Levite, who became his priest, remaining in his house.

¹³ Therefore Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, since the Levite has become my priest."