| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim | 1There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country. |
| 2said to his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse--I have that silver with me; I took it." Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!" | 2He said to his mother, "You know the eleven hundred pieces of silver which were stolen from you, about which I heard you pronounce a curse? Look here, I have the silver. I stole it, but now I am giving it back to you." His mother said, "May the LORD reward you, my son!" |
| 3When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you." | 3When he gave back to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, "I solemnly dedicate this silver to the LORD. It will be for my son's benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image." |
| 4So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah's house. | 4When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took two hundred pieces of silver to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah's house. |
| 5Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest. | 5Now this man Micah owned a shrine. He made an ephod and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest. |
| 6In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. | 6In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right. |
| 7A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, | 7There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah. |
| 8left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. | 8This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to find another place to live. He came to the Ephraimite hill country and made his way to Micah's house. |
| 9Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I'm looking for a place to stay." | 9Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" He replied, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a new place to live." |
| 10Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food." | 10Micah said to him, "Stay with me. Become my adviser and priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, plus clothes and food." |
| 11So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. | 11So the Levite agreed to stay with the man; the young man was like a son to Micah. |
| 12Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. | 12Micah paid the Levite; the young man became his priest and lived in Micah's house. |
| 13And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." | 13Micah said, "Now I know God will make me rich, because I have this Levite as my priest." |
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