1 ¶ There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

2 And he said to his mother, I have the eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which I heard you cursing; I took them. And his mother said, May the LORD bless you, my son.

3 And when he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I consecrate the silver in my hand to the LORD on behalf of my son, so he may make a graven image and a molten image: therefore I will return it to you.

4 So after he had restored the money to his mother; his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the silver-smith, who made of them a graven image and a molten image: and they were in Micah’s house.

5 This 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 what was right in his own eyes.

7 ¶ And there was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he traveled there.

8 The man had left the city of Bethlehem-Judah to live where he could find a place: and as he journeyed he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah.

9 And Micah asked him, Where are you from? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I have come to live wherever I may find a position.

10 And Micah said to him, Live with me, be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver each year, and a suit of clothing, and your food. So the Levite went in.

11 And the Levite was content to stay with the man; and the young man was to Micah like 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 Micah said, Now know I that the LORD will bless me, since I have a Levite as my priest.