Micah’s Idolatry

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim 2 said to his mother,“The eleven hundred [shekels] of silver[fn] that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse— I have the silver {here} with me; I took it.”

Then his mother said,“Blessed be my son by the LORD!”

3 

And when he had returned the eleven hundred [shekels] of silver to his mother, [she] said,“I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

4 

So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred [shekels] of silver[fn] and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

5 

Now this man Micah had a shrine and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons [as] his priest. 6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did [what was] right in his own eyes.

7 

And there was a young Levite vvv from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah. 8 This man left the city vvv of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find [a place]. And as he traveled he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 

“Where are you from?” Micah asked him.

“I am a Levite vvv from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied“and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”

10 

“Stay with me,” Micah said to him,“and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten [shekels] of silver[fn] per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.”

So the Levite went in 11 and agreed to stay with [him], and the young man became like a son to Micah.

12 

Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in [his] house. 13 Then Micah said,“Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.” 18