1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred silver-pieces that were taken from thee, and about which thou didst curse and speak of in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Jehovah!
3 And he restored the eleven hundred silver-pieces to his mother; and his mother said, I had dedicated the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; and now I will restore it to thee.
4 Now he restored the silver to his mother; and his mother took two hundred silver-pieces and gave them to the founder, and he made of them a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah.
5 And the 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; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 And the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem-Judah, to sojourn where he might find {a place}. And as he journeyed, he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah.
9 And Micah said to him, Whence comest thou? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find {a place}.
10 And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee yearly ten silver-pieces, and a suit of garments, and thy victuals. And the Levite went in.
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as 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 said Micah, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, because I have the Levite for priest.
1 Efraimin vuoristossa oli mies, nimeltä Miika.
4 Mutta hän antoi rahat takaisin äidilleen. Ja hänen äitinsä otti kaksisataa hopeasekeliä ja antoi ne kultasepälle, joka niistä teki veistetyn ja valetun jumalankuvan. Se oli sitten Miikan talossa.
5 Sillä miehellä, Miikalla, oli siis jumalanhuone, ja hän teetti kasukan ja kotijumalien kuvia ja asetti yhden pojistaan itsellensä papiksi.
6 Siihen aikaan ei ollut kuningasta Israelissa, ja jokainen teki sitä, mikä hänen omasta mielestään oli oikein.
7 Juudan Beetlehemissä oli nuori mies, Juudan sukukuntaa; hän oli leeviläinen ja asui siellä muukalaisena.
8 Tämä mies lähti siitä kaupungista, Juudan Beetlehemistä, asuaksensa muukalaisena, missä vain sopisi; ja vaeltaessaan tietänsä hän tuli Efraimin vuoristoon, Miikan talolle asti.
11 Ja leeviläinen suostui asettumaan sen miehen luo, ja tämä piti sitä nuorta miestä kuin omaa poikaansa.
12 Miika asetti leeviläisen virkaan, ja nuoresta miehestä tuli hänen pappinsa, ja hän jäi Miikan taloon.