1 Havia um homem chamado Mica, dos montes de Efraim,2 que disse certa vez à sua mãe: "Os treze quilos de prata que lhe foram roubados e pelos quais eu a ouvi pronunciar uma maldição. Na verdade a prata está comigo; eu a peguei". Disse-lhe sua mãe: "O Senhor o abençoe, meu filho! "3 Quando ele devolveu os treze quilos de prata à mãe, ela disse: "Consagro solenemente a minha prata ao Senhor para que o meu filho faça uma imagem esculpida e um ídolo de metal. Eu a devolvo a você".4 Mas ele devolveu a prata à sua mãe, e ela separou dois quilos e quatrocentos gramas, e os deu a um ourives, que deles fez a imagem e o ídolo. E estes foram postos na casa de Mica.5 Ora, esse homem, Mica, possuía um santuário, e fez um manto sacerdotal e alguns ídolos da família e pôs um dos seus filhos como seu sacerdote.6 Naquela época não havia rei em Israel; cada um fazia o que lhe parecia certo.7 Um jovem levita de Belém de Judá, procedente do clã de Judá,8 saiu daquela cidade em busca de outro lugar para morar. Em sua viagem, chegou à casa de Mica, nos montes de Efraim.9 Mica lhe perguntou: "De onde você vem? " "Sou levita, de Belém de Judá", respondeu ele. "Estou procurando um lugar para morar. "10 "Fique comigo", disse-lhe Mica. "Seja meu pai e sacerdote, e eu lhe darei cento e vinte gramas de prata por ano, roupas e comida. "11 O jovem levita concordou em ficar com Mica, e tornou-se como um dos seus filhos.12 Mica acolheu o levita, e o jovem se tornou seu sacerdote, e ficou morando em sua casa.13 E Mica disse: "Agora sei que o Senhor me tratará com bondade, pois esse levita se tornou meu sacerdote".

1 And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred [pieces] of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, look, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son of Yahweh.3 And he restored the eleven hundred [pieces] of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I truly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to you.4 And when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred [pieces] of silver, and gave them to the goldsmith, who made of it a graven image and a molten image: and it was in the house of Micah.5 And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and talismans, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.6 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.7 And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.8 And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find [a place], and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.9 And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-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 you ten [pieces] of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and your victuals. So 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 Micah said, Now I know that Yahweh will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest.