1And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. 3And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. 4Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.17.5 consecrated: Heb. filled the hand 6In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7¶ And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.17.8 as he…: Heb. in making his way 9And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.17.10 a suit…: or, a double suit, etc: Heb. an order of garments 11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
米迦的神像
1以法蓮山區住了一個名叫米迦的人。 2他對母親說：「你那一千一百塊銀子丟了，我還聽見你咒詛小偷。看啊，銀子在我這裡，是我拿去的。」他母親說：「我兒啊，願耶和華賜福給你！」 3米迦把一千一百塊銀子還給母親。他母親說：「我要為你把這些銀子獻給耶和華，用來雕刻、鑄造神像。現在這銀子還是你的。」 4米迦把銀子還給母親後，他母親拿出二百塊銀子交給銀匠雕刻、鑄造神像，放在米迦的房子裡。 5米迦有一個神廟，他製造了一件以弗得和一些家庭神像，並指派他的一個兒子做祭司。 6那時，以色列沒有王，人人各行其是。
7猶大的伯利恆住著一個年輕的利未人。 8他離開伯利恆想到別的地方居住，一路走到以法蓮山區米迦的家。 9米迦問他：「你從哪裡來？」他回答說：「我是從猶大伯利恆來的利未人，我要找一個住的地方。」 10米迦說：「你就住在我這裡吧，做我的師父和祭司。我每年給你十塊銀子，還為你提供衣服和膳食。」利未人就進了米迦的家， 11住了下來。米迦待他就像待自己的兒子一樣。 12這樣，米迦派他做祭司，讓他住在自己家裡。 13米迦說：「現在我有一個利未人做我的祭司，耶和華一定會賜福給我。」
