17A man named Micah lived in the mountainous region of the territory of Ephraim.H376H2022H669H8034H43212He told his mother, "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."H559H517H505H3967H3701H3947H422H559H241H3701H3947H517H559H1288H3068H11213Her 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."H7725H505H3967H3701H517H517H559H6942H6942H3701H3068H3027H1121H6213H6459H4541H77254When 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 in Micah's house.H7725H3701H517H517H3947H3967H3701H5414H6884H6213H6459H4541H1004H43215This man Micah had his own shrine, had crafted his own ephod and some household idols, and had installed one of his sons as a priest.H376H4318H1004H430H6213H646H8655H4390H3027H259H1121H35486Back in those days, Israel didn't yet have a king, so each person did whatever seemed right in his own opinion.H3117H4428H3478H376H6213H3477H58697A young Levite man happened to be visiting there from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah.H5288H1035H3063H4940H3063H3881H14818The 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 of Ephraim, looking for work.H376H3212H5892H1035H3063H1481H4672H935H2022H669H1004H4318H6213H18709Micah asked him, "Where did you come from?" He replied, "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm going to stay temporarily wherever I can find a place.17H4318H559H370H935H559H3881H1035H3063H1980H1481H467210So Micah replied, "Come live with me! You can be a spiritual father to me, as well as a priest. I'll pay you ten silver coins a year, plus a priestly uniform and an income." So the Levite moved in.H4318H559H3427H1H3548H5414H6235H3701H3117H6187H899H4241H3881H321211The Levite agreed to live with the man, and the young man became like one of the family.H3881H2974H3427H376H5288H259H112112Micah set up the Levite in ministry, and the young man became his priest while he lived in Micah's house.H4318H4390H3027H3881H5288H3548H1004H431813As for Micah, he kept saying, "Now I know the Lord will make me rich, because I have a Levite for a priest!"H559H4318H3045H3068H3190H3881H3548
