17There was a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim.H376H2022H669H8034H43212One day he said to his mother, "I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it." "The LORD bless you for admitting it," his mother replied.H559H517H505H3967H3701H3947H422H559H241H3701H3947H517H559H1288H3068H11213He returned the money to her, and she said, "I now dedicate these silver coins to the LORD. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast."H7725H505H3967H3701H517H517H559H6942H6942H3701H3068H3027H1121H6213H6459H4541H77254So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah's house.H7725H3701H517H517H3947H3967H3701H5414H6884H6213H6459H4541H1004H43215Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest.H376H4318H1004H430H6213H646H8655H4390H3027H259H1121H35486In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.H3117H4428H3478H376H6213H3477H58697One day a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem in Judah, arrived in that area.H5288H1035H3063H4940H3063H3881H14818He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah's house as he was traveling through.H376H3212H5892H1035H3063H1481H4672H935H2022H669H1004H4318H6213H18709"Where are you from?" Micah asked him. He replied, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am looking for a place to live."H4318H559H370H935H559H3881H1035H3063H1980H1481H467210"Stay here with me," Micah said, "and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, plus a change of clothes and your food."H4318H559H3427H1H3548H5414H6235H3701H3117H6187H899H4241H3881H321211The Levite agreed to this, and the young man became like one of Micah's sons.H3881H2974H3427H376H5288H259H112112So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah's house.H4318H4390H3027H3881H5288H3548H1004H431813"I know the LORD will bless me now," Micah said, "because I have a Levite serving as my priest."H559H4318H3045H3068H3190H3881H3548
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of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it." "The LORD bless you for admitting it," his mother replied.H559
