The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
New International Version NIV
1 There was a man from the hills of Efrayim named Mikhay'hu.
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Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 He said to his mother, "You know the 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you - you pronounced a curse about it, and you told me about it? Well, the money is with me. I took it." His mother said, "May ADONAI bless my son,"
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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 that silver with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “The LORD bless you, my son!”
3 as he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. Then his mother said, "I solemnly dedicate this money of mine to ADONAI, in order for my son to make a carved image overlaid with silver. So now I'm giving it back to you."
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When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.”
4 But he returned the money to his mother, and she took 200 pieces of silver and gave them to the metalworker, who made a carved image overlaid with silver which was put in Mikhay'hu's house.
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So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.
5 This man Mikhah owned a house of God; so he made a ritual vest and household gods and consecrated one of his sons, who became his cohen.
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Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest.
6 At that time there was no king in Isra'el; a man simply did whatever he thought was right.
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In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
7 There was a young man from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, from the family of Y'hudah, who was a Levi. He had been staying
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A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah,
8 in Beit-Lechem, but he left there to find another place to live and came to the hills of Efrayim, where eventually he made his way to the house of Mikhah.
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left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 Mikhah asked him, "Where are you coming from?" He answered, "I am a Levi from Beit-Lechem in Y'hudah, and I'm looking for a place to live."
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Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” “I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”
10 Mikhah replied, "Stay with me, and be a father and cohen for me; I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, in addition to your clothing and food." So the Levi went in
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Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your food.”
11 and agreed to stay with the man; the young man became like one of his sons.
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So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
12 After Mikhah consecrated the Levi, the young man became his cohen and stayed there in Mikhah's house.
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Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.
13 Mikhah said, "Now I know that ADONAI will treat me well, because I have a Levi for a cohen.
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And Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.