17
1 And there was an ish from har Ephrayim, whose shem was Mikhay'hu. 2 And he said unto his em, The eleven hundred pieces of kesef that were taken from thee, about which thou did utter a curse, and spoke of also in mine ears, Hinei, the kesef is with me; I took it. And his em said, Baruch beni LaHashem. 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred pieces of kesef to his em, his em said, I had wholly set apart as kodesh the kesef unto Hashem from my hand for beni (my son), to make a pesel (carved image, idol)* and a masekhah (an image cast from a mold);† now therefore I will return it unto thee. 4 So he restored the kesef unto his em; and his em took two hundred pieces of kesef and gave them to the tzoref (goldsmith), who made thereof a pesel and a masekhah; and they were in the bais Mikhay'hu. 5 And the ish Michah had a bais elohim, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and ordained one of his banim, who became his kohen.
6 In those yamim there was no melech in Yisroel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 Meanwhile there was a na'ar from Beit-Lechem Yehudah of the mishpakhat Yehudah, who was a Levi, and he sojourned there. 8 And the ish departed out of the Ir from Beit-Lechem Yehudah to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to har Ephrayim to the bais Michah, as he made his derech. 9 And Michah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levi of Beit-Lechem Yehudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10 And Michah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me an av and a kohen, and I will give thee ten pieces of kesef a year, and a set of begadim, and mikhyah (maintenance, livelihood). So the Levi went in. 11 And the Levi agreed to dwell with the ish; and the na'ar was unto him as one of his banim. 12 And Michah ordained‡ the Levi; and the na'ar became his kohen, and was in the bais Mikhay'hu. 13 Then said Michah, Now I have da'as that Hashem will do me good, seeing I have a Levi as my kohen.
* 17:3 See Ex 20:4 † 17:3 See Ex 32:4 ‡ 17:12 literally, filled the hands of, consecrated, appointed as his own priest