וַֽיְהִי־אִ֥ישׁ מֵהַר־אֶפְרָ֖יִם וּשְׁמ֥וֹ מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.a“Micaihu” here and in v. 4.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמּ֡וֹ אֶ֩לֶף֩ וּמֵאָ֨ה הַכֶּ֜סֶף אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֻֽקַּֽח־לָ֗ךְ (ואתי) [וְאַ֤תְּ] אָלִית֙ וְגַם֙ אָמַ֣רְתְּ בְּאׇזְנַ֔י הִנֵּה־הַכֶּ֥סֶף אִתִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י לְקַחְתִּ֑יו וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִמּ֔וֹ בָּר֥וּךְ בְּנִ֖י לַיהֹוָֽה׃ He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, so that you uttered an imprecationbCursing anyone who knew the whereabouts of the silver and did not disclose it; cf. Lev. 5.1; 1 Kings 8.31. which you repeated in my hearing—I have that silver; I took it.” “Blessed of the LORD be my son,” said his mother.cIn order to nullify the imprecation.
וַיָּ֛שֶׁב אֶת־אֶלֶף־וּמֵאָ֥ה הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִמּ֡וֹ הַקְדֵּ֣שׁ הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּי אֶת־הַכֶּ֩סֶף֩ לַיהֹוָ֨ה מִיָּדִ֜י לִבְנִ֗י לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וְעַתָּ֖ה אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃ He returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother; but his mother said, “I herewith consecrate the silver to the LORD, transferring it to my son to make a sculptured image and a molten image. I now return it to you.”
וַיָּ֥שֶׁב אֶת־הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתִּקַּ֣ח אִמּוֹ֩ מָאתַ֨יִם כֶּ֜סֶף וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ לַצּוֹרֵ֗ף וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וַֽיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ So when he gave the silver back to his mother, his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave it to a smith. He made of it a sculptured image and a molten image, which were kept in the house of Micah.
וְהָאִ֣ישׁ מִיכָ֔ה ל֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אֵפוֹד֙ וּתְרָפִ֔ים וַיְמַלֵּ֗א אֶת־יַ֤ד אַחַד֙ מִבָּנָ֔יו וַֽיְהִי־ל֖וֹ לְכֹהֵֽן׃ Now the man Micah had a house of God; he had made an ephod and teraphim and he had inducted one of his sons to be his priest.
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ {פ}
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did as he pleased.
וַֽיְהִי־נַ֗עַר מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִמִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת יְהוּדָ֑ה וְה֥וּא לֵוִ֖י וְה֥וּא גָֽר־שָֽׁם׃ There was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, from the clan seat of Judah; he was a Levite and had resided there as a sojourner.
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ הָאִ֜ישׁ מֵהָעִ֗יר מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה לָג֖וּר בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יִמְצָ֑א וַיָּבֹ֧א הַר־אֶפְרַ֛יִם עַד־בֵּ֥ית מִיכָ֖ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃ This man had left the town of Bethlehem of Judah to take up residence wherever he could find a place. On his way, he came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim.
וַיֹּֽאמֶר־ל֥וֹ מִיכָ֖ה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו לֵוִ֣י אָנֹ֗כִי מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאָנֹכִ֣י הֹלֵ֔ךְ לָג֖וּר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶמְצָֽא׃ “Where do you come from?” Micah asked him. He replied, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem of Judah, and I am traveling to take up residence wherever I can find a place.”
וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ ל֨וֹ מִיכָ֜ה שְׁבָ֣ה עִמָּדִ֗י וֶֽהְיֵה־לִי֮ לְאָ֣ב וּלְכֹהֵן֒ וְאָנֹכִ֨י אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ֜ עֲשֶׂ֤רֶת כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לַיָּמִ֔ים וְעֵ֥רֶךְ בְּגָדִ֖ים וּמִחְיָתֶ֑ךָ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ הַלֵּוִֽי׃ “Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be a father and a priest to me, and I will pay you ten shekels of silver a year, an allowance of clothing, and your food.” dForce of Heb. uncertain.The Levite went.-d
וַיּ֥וֹאֶל הַלֵּוִ֖י לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיְהִ֤י הַנַּ֙עַר֙ ל֔וֹ כְּאַחַ֖ד מִבָּנָֽיו׃ The Levite agreed to stay with the man, and the youth became like one of his own sons.
וַיְמַלֵּ֤א מִיכָה֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד הַלֵּוִ֔י וַֽיְהִי־ל֥וֹ הַנַּ֖עַר לְכֹהֵ֑ן וַיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽה׃ Micah inducted the Levite, and the young man became his priest and remained in Micah’s shrine.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִיכָ֔ה עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּֽי־יֵיטִ֥יב יְהֹוָ֖ה לִ֑י כִּ֧י הָֽיָה־לִ֛י הַלֵּוִ֖י לְכֹהֵֽן׃ {פ}
“Now I know,” Micah told himself, “that the LORD will prosper me, since the Levite has become my priest.”