Judges 17

A Priest for Hire, and Gods of Silver

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Micah’s Silver and the Carved Image

17:1There was a man from Ephraim’s hill country whose name was Micah.

17:2He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver taken from you, about which you uttered an adjuration and spoke in my hearing—look, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.”

17:3He returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother. His mother said, “I have solemnly consecrated the silver from my hand to the Lord, separately, to make a carved image and a cast image. Now I will return them to you and give it back to you.”

17:4He returned the silver to his mother. His mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave it to the caster, who made it into a carved image and a cast image. It was in Micah’s house.

17:5The man Micah had a house of God. He made an ephod and teraphim, filled the hand of one of his sons, and the son became his priest.

17:6In those days there was no king in Israel. Each did what was good in his own eyes.

The Levite from Bethlehem

17:7There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah’s district, from Judah’s kindred. He was a Levite and was sojourning there.

17:8The man left the city of Judah, Bethlehem, to sojourn wherever he could find a place. Traveling on his way, he reached Ephraim’s hill country, Micah’s house.

17:9Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn wherever I can find a place.”

Micah Makes Him His Priest

17:10Micah said to him, “Stay with me and be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver for the year, a pair of garments, and your living provisions.” The Levite went

17:11and began to sojourn with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons.

17:12Micah filled the Levite’s hand. The young man became his priest and stayed in Micah’s house.

17:13Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord has done good to me, because the Levite has become my priest.”

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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V2 · working draft awaiting specialist review.