King James Version KJV
Good News Translation GNT
1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
1
There was once a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim.
2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
2
He told his mother, "When someone stole those eleven hundred pieces of silver from you, you put a curse on the robber. I heard you do it. Look, I have the money. I am the one who took it." His mother said, "May the Lord bless you, 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 unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee.
3
He gave the money back to his mother, and she said, "To keep the curse from falling on my son, I myself am solemnly dedicating the silver to the Lord. It will be used to make a wooden idol covered with silver. So now I will give the pieces of silver back to you."
4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah.
4
Then he gave them back to his mother. She took two hundred of the pieces of silver and gave them to a metalworker, who made an idol, carving it from wood and covering it with the silver. It was placed in Micah's house.
5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
5
This man Micah had his own place of worship. He made some idols and an ephod, and appointed one of his sons as his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
6
There was no king in Israel at that time; everyone did whatever they wanted.
7 And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
7
At that same time there was a young Levite who had been living in the town of Bethlehem in Judah.
8 And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
8
He left Bethlehem to find another place to live. While he was traveling, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
9
Micah asked him, "Where do you come from?" He answered, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a place to live."
10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto 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.
10
Micah said, "Stay with me. Be my adviser and priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, some clothes, and your food."
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
11
The young Levite agreed to stay with Micah and became like a son to him.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
12
Micah appointed him as his priest, and he lived in Micah's home.
13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
13
Micah said, "Now that I have a Levite as my priest, I know that the Lord will make things go well for me."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.