1 And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. 3 And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. 4 Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and 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, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 ¶ And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. 9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place . 10 And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12 And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
1 Un tur bija kāds vīrs no Efraima kalniem, un viņa vārds bija Miha. 2 Un tas sacīja savai mātei: "Tie tūkstoš un simts sudraba gabali, kas tika tev paņemti un par kuriem tu esi izteikusi lāstu un pie tam, man pašam to dzirdot, redzi, tos es esmu pats paņēmis. Šī nauda ir tagad pie manis, bet nu es to gribu tev atdot atpakaļ." Tad viņa māte tam teica: "Esi, mans dēls, Tā Kunga svētīts!" 3 Tad viņš atdeva atpakaļ savai mātei tūkstoš un simts sudraba gabalus, bet viņa māte sacīja: "Es svētīdama šo naudu no savas rokas esmu veltījusi Tam Kungam sava dēla labā, lai darinātu grieztu tēlu un lietu attēlu, bet tagad atdodu tev to atpakaļ." 4 Bet, kad viņš no jauna atdeva savai mātei naudu, tad viņa māte ņēma divi simti sudraba gabalus un tos iedeva zeltkalim, lai tas darinātu grieztu tēlu un lietu attēlu. Un tie atradās Mihas namā. 5 Tā nu vīram Miham bija svētnīca; viņš darināja arī efodu un terafīmu un salīga un iesvētīja kādu, lai tas būtu viņam par priesteri. 6 Tanīs dienās vēl nebija ķēniņa Israēlā, un ikviens darīja to, kas tam likās taisns paša acīs. 7 Un tad tur bija kāds jauneklis no Bētlemes Jūdas zemē, no Jūdas cilts, tas bija levīts. Un viņš tur piemājoja. 8 Šis vīrs bija atstājis savu pilsētu Bētlemi Jūdā, lai piemājotu, kur vien vieta gadītos, un, savu ceļu iedams, viņš nonāca Efraima kalnos Mihas namā. 9 Tad Miha tam jautāja: "No kurienes tu nāc?" Un viņš tam atbildēja: "Es esmu levīts no Bētlemes Jūdā, un eju un piemājoju, kur vieta gadās." 10 Tad Miha viņam sacīja: "Paliec pie manis un topi tu man gan par tēvu, gan par priesteri. Es tev došu ik gadus desmit sudraba gabalus, arī pienācīgu apģērbu un uzturu tavai iztikai." Un levīts palika. 11 Viņš bija ar mieru palikt pie Mihas, un šis jauneklis viņam kļuva tikpat kā viens no viņa dēliem. 12 Un Miha iesvētīja levītu, un šis jauneklis tam kļuva par priesteri un palika Mihas namā. 13 Tad Miha sacīja: "Tagad es zinu, ka Tas Kungs darīs man labu, tāpēc ka šis levīts man ir kļuvis par priesteri."
