| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1A man named Micah lived in the mountainous region of the territory of Ephraim. | 1There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim named Micah. |
| 2He told his mother, "Do you remember those 1,100 silver coins that were stolen from you and about which you uttered a curse when I could hear it? Well, I have the silver. I took it." So she replied, "May my son be blessed by the LORD." | 2He said to his mother, "The 1,100 pieces of silver taken from you, and that I heard you utter a curse about--here, I have the silver with me. I took it. So now I return it to you." Then his mother said, "My son, you are blessed by the LORD!" |
| 3Her son gave back the 1,100 silver coins to his mother, and she said, "I'm totally giving this silver—from my hand to the LORD—so my son can make a carved image and a cast image. So I'm returning it to you." | 3He returned the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, "I personally consecrate the silver to the LORD for my son's benefit to make a carved image overlaid with silver." |
| 4When he had returned the silver to his mother, his mother took 200 of the silver coins and handed them over to a silversmith. He crafted them into a carved image and into a cast image, and they were set up in Micah's house. | 4So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took five pounds of silver and gave it to a silversmith. He made it into a carved image overlaid with silver, and it was in Micah's house. |
| 5This man Micah had his own shrine, had crafted his own ephod and some household idols, and had installed one of his sons as a priest. | 5This man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household idols, and installed one of his sons to be his priest. |
| 6Back in those days, Israel didn't yet have a king, so each person did whatever seemed right in his own opinion. | 6In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted. |
| 7A young male descendant of Levi happened to be visiting there from Bethlehem in the territory of Judah. | 7There was a young man, a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who resided within the clan of Judah. |
| 8The man had left his city Bethlehem in Judah to live wherever he could. As he traveled along, he eventually arrived at Micah's house in the mountainous region of Ephraim, looking for work. | 8The man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to settle wherever he could find a place. On his way he came to Micah's home in the hill country of Ephraim." |
| 9Micah asked him, "Where did you come from?" He replied, "I'm a descendant of Levi from Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm going to stay temporarily wherever I can find a place." | 9Where do you come from?" Micah asked him. He answered him, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I'm going to settle wherever I can find a place." |
| 10So Micah replied, "Come live with me! You can be a spiritual father to me, as well as a priest. I'll pay you ten silver coins a year, plus a priestly uniform and an income." So the descendant of Levi moved in. | 10Micah replied, "Stay with me and be my father and priest, and I will give you four ounces of silver a year, along with your clothing and provisions." So the Levite went in |
| 11The descendant of Levi agreed to live with the man, and the young man became like one of the family. | 11and agreed to stay with the man, and the young man became like one of his sons. |
| 12Micah set up the descendant of Levi in ministry, and the young man became his priest while he lived in Micah's house. | 12Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in Micah's house. |
| 13As for Micah, he kept saying, "Now I know the LORD will make me rich, because I have a descendant of Levi for a priest!" | 13Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest." |
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