Judges, Chapter 17

1. And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.    2. And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed, and spoke of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Be blessed of the LORD, my son.    3. And 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 sculptured image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to you.    4. Yet he restored the money to his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the metal founder, who made thereof a sculptured image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.    5. And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.    6. In 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 Bethlehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.    8. And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.    9. And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.    10. And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your food. So the Levite went in.    11. And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.    12. And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.    13. Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.