Judges 17:3-13 ▼

3 When 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.|

4 When 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.

5 Now 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.

6 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.

7 There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah.

8 This 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.

9 Micah 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.|

10 Micah 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.|

11 So the Levite agreed to stay with the man; the young man was like a son to Micah.

12 Micah paid the Levite; the young man became his priest and lived in Micah's house.

13 Micah said, |Now I know God will make me rich, because I have this Levite as my priest.|