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 以法莲山地有一个人， 名叫米迦。

2 他对自己的母亲说： "你那十二公斤银子被人拿去了， 关于这事你曾说了咒诅的话， 我也亲自听见了。看哪！ 那些银子在我这里， 是我拿去了。"他母亲说： "愿我儿蒙耶和华赐福。"

3 米迦就把那十二公斤银子归还给他母亲； 他母亲说： "我把这些银子从我手中分别为圣， 为我的儿子归给耶和华， 好做一个雕像， 一个铸像； 现在， 我要还给你。"

4 米迦把银子还给他母亲以后， 他母亲取出二千三百克银子交给银匠， 制造一个雕像和一个铸像， 都放在米迦的家里。

5 米迦这人有一间神庙， 又制造以弗得和家中的神像， 并且立了他的一个儿子作祭司。

6 在那些日子， 以色列中没有王， 各人都行自己看为对的事。

7 有一个犹大伯利恒的青年人， 是属犹大家族的； 他本是个利未人， 在那里寄居。

8 这人离开犹大的伯利恒城， 要找一个可以寄居的地方； 途中， 他到了以法莲山地， 米迦的家那里。

9 米迦问他： "你是从哪里来的？"他回答米迦： "我是个利未人， 是从犹大的伯利恒来的， 我来要找一个可以寄居的地方。"

10 米迦对他说： "你与我住在一起吧， 作我的师父和祭司； 我每年给你一百一十四克银子、一套衣服和食用。"利未人就进了米迦的家。

11 他同意与那人同住； 那人看待这青年人好像自己的一个儿子一样。

12 米迦立了这利未青年作他的祭司， 住在米迦的家里。

13 米迦说： "现在我知道耶和华必善待我， 因为有一个利未人作我的祭司。"