1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 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—behold, the silver is with me. I took it."

His mother said, "May Yahweh bless my son!"

3 He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, "I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you."

4 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image out of it. It was in the house of Micah.

5 The man Micah had a house of gods, and he 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. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes. 7 There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there. 8 The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he traveled. 9 Micah said to him, "Where did you come from?"

He said to him, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live."

10 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 per year, a suit of clothing, and your food." So the Levite went in. 11 The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons. 12 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 good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest."

1 Daar was 'n man van die gebergte van Efraim met die naam van Miga.

2 Di, het aan sy moeder gesê: die elf honderd sikkels silwer wat van u geneem is en waaroor u 'n vloek uitgespreek het en dit ook voor my ore gesê het -- hier is die geld by my, ,k het dit geneem. Toe sê sy moeder: Mag jy geseënd wees deur die HERE, my seun!

3 En hy het aan sy moeder die elf honderd sikkels silwer teruggegee. Maar sy moeder het gesê: Ek heilig plegtig die geld aan die HERE; uit my hand is dit vir my seun om 'n gesnede en 'n gegote beeld te maak; ek sal dit dan nou aan jou teruggee.

4 Toe hy dan die geld aan sy moeder teruggegee het, neem sy moeder twee honderd sikkels silwer en gee dit aan 'n goudsmid; en hy het daar 'n gesnede en 'n gegote beeld van gemaak wat in die huis van Miga gekom het.

5 Die man Miga het naamlik 'n godshuis gehad, en hy het 'n skouerkleed en huisgode gemaak en een van sy seuns aangestel om vir hom priester te wees.

6 In die dae was daar geen koning in Israel nie: elkeen het gedoen wat reg was in sy oë.

7 En daar was 'n jongman van Betlehem-Juda, uit die geslag van Juda; hy was 'n Leviet wat daar as vreemdeling vertoef het.

8 En die man het uit die stad, uit Betlehem-Juda, getrek om te vertoef waar hy plek kon kry; en op sy reis het hy in die gebergte van Efraim gekom tot by die huis van Miga.

9 En Miga vra hom: Waar kom u vandaan? Toe sê hy vir hom: Ek is 'n Leviet, uit Betlehem-Juda, en ek is op trek om te vertoef waar ek plek kan kry.

10 En Miga sê vir hom: Bly by my, en wees vir my 'n vader en 'n priester, dan sal ek u jaarliks tien sikkels silwer gee en 'n stel klere en u lewensonderhoud. En die Leviet het gegaan,

11 en die Leviet het ingewillig om by die man te bly; en die jongman was vir hom soos een van sy seuns.

12 En Miga het die Leviet aangestel, sodat die jongman sy priester geword het, en hy was in die huis van Miga.

13 Toe sê Miga: Nou weet ek dat die HERE aan my goed sal doen, omdat ek 'n Leviet as priester het.