1 Nas colinas de Efraim vivia um homem chamado Mica.2 Um dia ele disse para a mãe: Aquelas mil e cem moedas de prata que julgas terem-te roubado, tendo amaldiçoado o ladrão, fui eu quem as tirou!Que Deus te abençoe por teres confessado tal coisa.3 E assim lhe devolveu o dinheiro. Eu quero dar este dinheiro ao Senhor, para que seja contado a teu favor, declarou ela. Vou mandar esculpir uma imagem e cobri-la de prata.4 A mãe pegou então em duzentas das moedas, levou-as a um ourives, que lhes fez um ídolo e que ela colocou num nicho em casa. Mica já tinha uma colecção de ídolos, além de um éfode e de alguns terafins, e designou um dos seus próprios filhos como sacerdote. (Porque nesses dias Israel não tinha rei, de tal forma que cada qual fazia o que melhor parecia aos seus olhos.)7 Entretanto houve um levita da cidade de Belém em Judá que chegou àquela região de Efraim, procurando um lugar onde se instalasse para viver. Aconteceu passar ali pela casa de Mica.9 Donde vens?, perguntou-lhe Mica.Sou levita, de Belém em Judá, e procuro lugar para viver.10 Fica aqui comigo. Serás o meu sacerdote e conselheiro. Dou-te cento e dez gramas de prata por ano, mais roupa para te vestires e alimentação, além de um quarto. O jovem aceitou e ficou a viver com Mica. Este consagrou-o como seu sacerdote pessoal.13 Agora tenho a certeza de que o Senhor me abençoará, exclamou Mica, porque tenho levita como sacerdote!

1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst curse, and speak of also in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, 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 to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it to thee.4 Yet he restored the money to his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made of it 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, but 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 from Beth-lehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.9 And Micah said to him, Whence comest thou? 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 thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy 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 said Micah, Now I know that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest.