Judges 17

1 And there was a man of Mount Efrayim, whose name was Mikhayehu.

2 And he said unto his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, “Blessed be you of יהוה, my son.”

3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver unto יהוה from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore I will restore it unto you.”

4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Mikhayehu.

5 And the man Mikhah had a house of gods (elohim), and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest (kohen).

6 In those days there was no king in Yisrael, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehem (Beit-Lechem) in Yehudah of the family of Judah (Yehudah), who was a Lewite, and he sojourned there.

8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem (Beit-Lechem) in Yehudah to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to Mount Efrayim to the house of Mikhah, as he journeyed.

9 And Mikhah said unto him, “Whence comest you?” And he said unto him, “I am a Lewite of Bethlehem (Beit-Lechem) in Yehudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.”

10 And Mikhah said unto him, “Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest (kohen), and I will give you ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals.” So the Lewite went in.

11 And the Lewite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

12 And Mikhah consecrated the Lewite; and the young man became his priest (kohen), and was in the house of Mikhah.

13 Then said Mikhah, “Now know I that יהוה will do me good, seeing I have a Lewite as my priest (kohen).”