1There was a man named Micah from the mountain region of Ephraim. 2He told his mother, "You were upset about the 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you. I even heard you put a curse on them. Here's the silver. I took it!" His mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!" 3So Micah gave the 1,100 pieces of silver back to his mother. Then his mother said, "I dedicate this silver to the LORD for my son's benefit. I want to make a carved idol and a metal idol. So now I'm giving the silver back to you." 4When Micah returned the silver to his mother, she took 200 pieces of the silver and gave it to a silversmith. He made a carved idol and a metal idol. Both were placed in Micah's home. 5Micah owned a shrine. He also made an ephod and household idols. He ordained one of his sons to be his priest. 6In those days Israel didn't have a king. Everyone did whatever he considered right.

7There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah. (Bethlehem belongs to the family of Judah.) He was a Levite but was living in Bethlehem. 8This man left Bethlehem in Judah to live wherever he could find [a place]. He came to Micah's house in the mountains of Ephraim to carry on his work. 9Micah asked him, "Where do you come from?" The man told him, "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I'm going to live wherever I can find [a place]." 10Micah told him, "Stay with me! Be a father and a priest to me. I'll give you ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your room and board." The Levite accepted the offer 11and agreed to live with Micah. The young man became like one of Micah's sons. 12Micah ordained the Levite. So the young man became his priest and a part of his family. 13Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me. I have a Levite for my priest."