| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. | 1Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim |
| 2And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my son!” | 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 the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!” |
| 3So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the LORD for my son, to make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.” | 3And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.” |
| 4Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah. | 4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah. |
| 5The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. | 5Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest. |
| 6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. | 6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. |
| 7Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and was staying there. | 7And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah. |
| 8The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. | 8This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim. |
| 9And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” So he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to find a place to stay.” | 9“Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.” |
| 10Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in. | 10“Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in |
| 11Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. | 11and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah. |
| 12So Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. | 12Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. |
| 13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!” | 13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.” |
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