Judges
17 Now there happened to be a man of the mountainous region of Eʹphra·im+ whose name was Miʹcah.* 2 In time he said to his mother: “The thousand one hundred silver pieces that were taken from you and over which you pronounced a curse+ and also said it in my hearing—look! the silver is with me. It was I who took it.”+ At that his mother said: “Blessed may my son be of Jehovah.”+ 3 Accordingly he gave back the thousand one hundred pieces of silver to his mother;+ and his mother went on to say: “I must without fail sanctify the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son, so as to make a carved image+ and a molten statue;+ and now I shall give it back to you.”*
4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took two hundred silver pieces and gave them to the silversmith.+ And he went making a carved image+ and a molten statue;+ and it got to be in Miʹcah’s house. 5 As for the man Miʹcah,* he had a house of gods,*+ and he proceeded to make an ephʹod+ and teraphim*+ and to fill the hand of one of his sons with power,*+ that he might serve as priest for him.+ 6 In those days there was no king in Israel.+ As for everybody, what was right in his own eyes he was accustomed to do.+
7 Now there happened to be a young man of Bethʹle·hem+ in Judah of the family of Judah,* and he was a Levite.*+ And he was residing there for a time. 8 And the man proceeded to go from the city of Bethʹle·hem in Judah to reside for a time wherever he might find a place. At length while going his way he came into the mountainous region of Eʹphra·im as far as the house of Miʹcah.+ 9 Then Miʹcah said to him: “Where do you come from?” At that he said to him: “I am a Levite from Bethʹle·hem in Judah, and I am on my way to reside for a time wherever I may find a place.” 10 So Miʹcah said to him: “Do dwell with me and serve as a father+ and priest+ for me, and I, for my part, shall give you ten silver pieces a year and the usual outfit of garments and your sustenance.” Accordingly the Levite went in. 11 Thus the Levite took it upon himself to dwell with the man, and the young man got to be as one of his sons to him. 12 Furthermore, Miʹcah filled the hand of the Levite with power,+ that the young man might serve as a priest+ for him and might continue in the house of Miʹcah. 13 Hence Miʹcah said: “Now I do know that Jehovah will do me good, because the Levite has become priest for me.”+