Micah’s Idolatry 1 UDB There was a man named Micah who lived in the hill country where the tribe of Ephraim lived. BSB BSB: Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 UDB One day he said to his mother, "I heard you curse whoever stole eleven hundred pieces of silver from your house. I am the one who took the silver, and I still have it." His mother replied, "My son, I pray that Yahweh will bless you." BSB BSB: said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
3 UDB Micah gave all the silver back to his mother. Then she said to herself, "I will give this silver to Yahweh. I will have someone make a carved figure and a cast figure from this silver." BSB BSB: And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”
4 UDB After he gave the silver to his mother, she took two hundred pieces and gave them to a metal worker. With the silver, that man made a carved figure and a cast metal figure and gave them to Micah. Micah put them in his house. BSB BSB: So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.
5 UDB He had a house in which he worshiped his idols. He made a vest that was worn by priests and some household idols, and Micah gave one of his sons the task of being the priest for all his idols. BSB BSB: Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.
6 UDB At that time the Israelites did not have a king, and everyone did what was right as they saw it. BSB BSB: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 UDB There was a young man who had been living in Bethlehem in the area where the tribe of Judah lives. He wanted to work as a priest because he was a member of the tribe of Levi. BSB BSB: And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah.
8 UDB So he left Bethlehem to find another place to live and work. He came to Micah's house in the hill country where the tribe of Ephraim lived. BSB BSB: This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 UDB Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" He replied, "I come from Bethlehem. I am from the tribe of Levi, and I am looking for a place to live and work as a priest." BSB BSB: “Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”
10 UDB Micah said to him, "Stay with me, and you can advise me and be my priest. Each year I will give to you ten pieces of silver and some new clothes, and I will provide food for you." BSB BSB: “Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in
11 UDB So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah's own sons. BSB BSB: and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah.
12 UDB Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah's house. BSB BSB: Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.
13 UDB Then Micah said, "Now I know that Yahweh will do good things for me because I have a man from the tribe of Levi to be my priest." BSB BSB: Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”
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