| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim | 1There was a man named Micah from the Ephraimite hill country. |
| 2said 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 the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!” | 2He said to his mother, "You know the eleven hundred pieces of silver which were stolen from you, about which I heard you pronounce a curse? Look here, I have the silver. I stole it, but now I am giving it back to you." His mother said, "May the LORD reward you, my son!" |
| 3And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.” | 3When he gave back to his mother the eleven hundred pieces of silver, his mother said, "I solemnly dedicate this silver to the LORD. It will be for my son's benefit. We will use it to make a carved image and a metal image." |
| 4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah. | 4When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took two hundred pieces of silver to a silversmith, who made them into a carved image and a metal image. She then put them in Micah's house. |
| 5Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest. | 5Now this man Micah owned a shrine. He made an ephod and some personal idols and hired one of his sons to serve as a priest. |
| 6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. | 6In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right. |
| 7And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah. | 7There was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite who had been temporarily residing among the tribe of Judah. |
| 8This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim. | 8This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to find another place to live. He came to the Ephraimite hill country and made his way to Micah's house. |
| 9“Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.” | 9Micah said to him, "Where do you come from?" He replied, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a new place to live." |
| 10“Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in | 10Micah said to him, "Stay with me. Become my adviser and priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, plus clothes and food." |
| 11and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah. | 11So the Levite agreed to stay with the man; the young man was like a son to Micah. |
| 12Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. | 12Micah paid the Levite; the young man became his priest and lived in Micah's house. |
| 13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.” | 13Micah said, "Now I know God will make me rich, because I have this Levite as my priest." |
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