Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Once there was a man named Micah who lived in the Ephraim highlands.
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There was a man in 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 led you to declare a curse and even to repeat it when I could hear. I have that silver. I'm the one who took it, and now I'll give it back to you." His mother replied, "May the LORD bless you, my son!"
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He said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and even spoke it in my hearing,—that silver is in my possession; I took it; but now I will return it to you." And his mother said, "May my son be blessed by the Lord!"
3 When he gave the eleven hundred pieces of silver back to his mother, she said, "I wholeheartedly devote this silver to the LORD, to be made into a sculpted image and a molded image for my son."
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Then he returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, "I consecrate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make an idol of cast metal."
4 So he gave the silver back to his mother, and she took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used it for a sculpted image and a molded image. And they were placed in Micah's house.
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So when he returned the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into an idol of cast metal; and it was in the house of Micah.
5 This man Micah had his own sanctuary. He made a priestly vest and divine images and appointed one of his sons to be his personal priest.
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This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and installed one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel; each person did what they thought to be right.
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In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the area of the Judahite clan. He was a Levite residing there as an immigrant.
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Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah. He was a Levite residing there.
8 The man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to settle as an immigrant wherever he could find a place. He came to Micah's house in the Ephraim highlands while he was making his way.
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This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah, to live wherever he could find a place. He came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim to carry on his work.
9 "Where are you from?" Micah asked him. He replied, "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm looking to settle as an immigrant anywhere I can find a place."
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Micah said to him, "From where do you come?" He replied, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to live wherever I can find a place."
10 So Micah said to him, "Stay with me and be a father and a priest to me, and I'll give you ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your basic needs."
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Then Micah said to him, "Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a set of clothes, and your living."
11 The Levite agreed to stay with him; and the young man became like one of his own sons.
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The Levite agreed to stay with the man; and the young man became to him like one of his sons.
12 Micah appointed the Levite so that the young man became his personal priest and lived in Micah's sanctuary.
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So Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 And Micah said to himself, Now I know that the LORD will give me good things, because a Levite has become my priest.
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Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest."
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.