Judges 17

1 A man named Micah lived in the mountainous region ^{a17:1 Or the hill country} of the territory of ^{b17:1 The Heb. lacks the territory of} Ephraim.ISV — Judges 17:1

2 He told his mother, “Do you remember ^{c17:2 The Heb. lacks Do you remember} those 1,100 silver coins that were stolen from you and about which you uttered a curse when I could hear it? Well, I have the silver. I took it.” So she replied, “May my son be blessed by the LORD.”ISV — Judges 17:2

3 Her son gave back the 1,100 silver coins to his mother, and she said, “I’m totally giving this silver—from my hand to the LORD—so my son can make a carved image and a cast image. So I’m returning it to you.”ISV — Judges 17:3

4 When he had returned the silver to his mother, his mother took 200 of the silver coins and handed them over to a silversmith. He crafted them into a carved image and into a cast image, and they were set up ^{d17:4 The Heb. lacks set up} in Micah’s house.ISV — Judges 17:4

5 This man Micah had his own shrine, ^{e17:5 Lit. own house of God} had crafted his own ephod and some household idols, ^{f17:5 Lit. and teraphim; i.e. images of pagan gods used in divination; and so throughout the book} and had installed one of his sons as a priest.ISV — Judges 17:5

6 Back in those days, Israel didn’t yet have a king, so each person did whatever seemed right in his own opinion.ISV — Judges 17:6

7 A young male descendant of Levi happened to be visiting there from Bethlehem in the territory of ^{g17:7 The Heb. lacks the territory of} Judah.ISV — Judges 17:7

8 The man had left his city Bethlehem in Judah to live wherever he could. As he traveled along, he eventually arrived at Micah’s house in the mountainous region ^{h17:8 Or the hill country} of Ephraim, looking for work.ISV — Judges 17:8

9 Micah asked him, “Where did you come from?” He replied, “I’m a descendant of Levi from Bethlehem in Judah, and I’m going to stay temporarily wherever I can find a place.” ^{i17:9 The Heb. lacks a place}ISV — Judges 17:9

10 So Micah replied, “Come live with me! You can be a spiritual father ^{j17:10 The Heb. lacks spiritual; cf. Judg 18:19} to me, as well as a priest. I’ll pay you ten silver coins a year, plus a priestly uniform ^{k17:10 Or a suit of clothes} and an income.” So the descendant of Levi moved in.ISV — Judges 17:10

11 The descendant of Levi agreed to live with the man, and the young man became like one of the family. ^{l17:11 Lit. of his sons}ISV — Judges 17:11

12 Micah set up the descendant of Levi in ministry, and the young man became his priest while he lived in Micah’s house.ISV — Judges 17:12

13 As for Micah, he kept saying, “Now I know the LORD will make me rich, because I have a descendant of Levi for a priest!”ISV — Judges 17:13