[1] There was a man named Micah who lived in the mountains of Ephraim. [2] He said to his mother, "I heard you speak a curse about the twenty-eight pounds of silver that were taken from you. I have the silver with me; I took it." His mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!" [3] Micah gave the twenty-eight pounds of silver to his mother. Then she said, "I will give this silver to the LORD. I will have my son make an idol and a statue. So I will give the silver back to you." [4] When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took about five pounds and gave it to a silversmith. With it he made an idol and a statue, which stood in Micah's house. [5] Micah had a special holy place, and he made a holy vest and some household idols. Then Micah chose one of his sons to be his priest. [6] At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what seemed right. [7] There was a young man who was a Levite from the city of Bethlehem in Judah who was from the people of Judah. [8] He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live, and on his way he came to Micah's house in the mountains of Ephraim. [9] Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I'm looking for a place to live." [10] Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and my priest. I will give you four ounces of silver each year and clothes and food." So the Levite went in. [11] He agreed to live with Micah and became like one of Micah's own sons. [12] Micah made him a priest, and he lived in Micah's house. [13] Then Micah said, "Now I know the LORD will be good to me, because I have a Levite as my priest."
