3He returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I personally consecrate17:3 Lv 22:2–3; 27:14–19; 1Ch 18:11; 26:26–28; 2Ch 30:17 the silver to the Lord for my son’s benefit to make a carved image and a silver idol.17:3 Or image and a cast image, also in v. 4 I will give it back to you.”

4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took five pounds of silver and gave it to a silversmith. He made it into a carved image and a silver idol, and it was in Micah’s house.

5This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household idols,17:5 Gn 31:19,34–35; Jdg 18:14; 1Sm 19:13; 2Kg 23:24; Hs 3:4 and installed one of his sons to be his priest.

6In those days there was no king in Israel;17:6 Jdg 18:1; 19:1; 21:25 everyone did whatever seemed right to him.

7There was a young man, a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who was staying within the clan of Judah.17:7 Dt 18:6–7

8The man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. On his way he came to Micah’s home in the hill country of Ephraim.

9“Where do you come from?” Micah asked him.

10Micah replied,17:10 Lit replied to him “Stay with me and be my father17:10 Gn 45:8; Jdg 18:19; Jr 3:19 and priest, and I will give you four ounces of silver a year, along with your clothing and provisions.” So the Levite went in

11and agreed to stay with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons.

12Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest17:12 Jdg 18:30 and lived in Micah’s house.

13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”