Micah’s Idolatry

1  וַֽיְהִי־ (And there was) אִ֥ישׁ (a man) מֵֽהַר־ (from the hill country) אֶפְרָ֖יִם (of Ephraim), וּשְׁמ֥וֹ (and his name was) מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ (Micah). 2  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And he said) לְאִמּ֡וֹ (to his mother), אֶלֶף֩ (The thousand) וּמֵאָ֨ה (and a hundred) הַכֶּ֜סֶף (shekels of silver) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) לֻֽקַּֽח־ (were taken) לָ֗ךְ (from you), וְאַתִּי (and on which) אָלִית֙ (you put a curse), וְגַם֙ (and even) אָמַ֣רְתְּ (saying it) בְּאָזְנַ֔י (in my ears), הִנֵּֽה־ (here is) הַכֶּ֥סֶף (the silver) אִתִּ֖י (with me). אֲנִ֣י (I) לְקַחְתִּ֑יו (took it).

וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) אִמּ֔וֹ (his mother). בָּר֥וּךְ (Blessed) בְּנִ֖י (is my son) לַיהוָֽה׃ (of YHWH)!

3  וַיָּ֛שֶׁב (And he returned) אֶת־ (-) אֶֽלֶף־ (the thousand) וּמֵאָ֥ה (and a hundred) הַכֶּ֖סֶף (shekels of silver) לְאִמּ֑וֹ (to his mother), וַתֹּ֣אמֶר (and said) אִמּ֡וֹ (his mother), הַקְדֵּ֣שׁ (Dedicating) הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּי (I dedicate) אֶת־ (-) הַכֶּסֶף֩ (the silver) לַיהוָ֨ה (to YHWH) מִיָּדִ֜י (from my hand) לִבְנִ֗י (for my son), לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ (to make) פֶּ֣סֶל (a carved image) וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה (and a molten image). וְעַתָּ֖ה (And now) אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ (I will return it) לָֽךְ׃ (to you).

4  וַיָּ֥שֶׁב (And he returned) אֶת־ (-) הַכֶּ֖סֶף (the silver) לְאִמּ֑וֹ (to his mother), וַתִּקַּ֣ח (and took) אִמּוֹ֩ (his mother) מָאתַ֨יִם (two hundred shekels) כֶּ֜סֶף (of silver) וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ (and gave them) לַצּוֹרֵ֗ף (to the silversmith), וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ (and he made it into) פֶּ֣סֶל (a carved image) וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה (and a molten image), וַיְהִ֖י (and they were) בְּבֵ֥ית (in the house) מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ (of Micah).

5  וְהָאִ֣ישׁ (And the man) מִיכָ֔ה (Micah) ל֖וֹ (had) בֵּ֣ית (a shrine) אֱלֹהִ֑ים (of gods), וַיַּ֤עַשׂ (and he made) אֵפוֹד֙ (an ephod) וּתְרָפִ֔ים (and teraphim), וַיְמַלֵּ֗א (and he filled) אֶת־ (-) יַ֤ד (the hand) אַחַד֙ (of one) מִבָּנָ֔יו (of his sons), וַיְהִי־ (and he was) ל֖וֹ (to him) לְכֹהֵֽן׃ (for a priest). 6  בַּיָּמִ֣ים (In the days) הָהֵ֔ם (those) אֵ֥ין (there was no) מֶ֖לֶךְ (king) בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (in Israel); אִ֛ישׁ (each man) הַיָּשָׁ֥ר (the right) בְּעֵינָ֖יו (in his own eyes) יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃פ (did).

7  וַיְהִי־ (And there was) נַ֗עַר (a young man) מִבֵּ֥ית (from Beth-) לֶ֙חֶם֙ (lehem) יְהוּדָ֔ה (in Judah), מִמִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת (from the family) יְהוּדָ֑ה (of Judah), וְה֥וּא (and he was) לֵוִ֖י (a Levite), וְה֥וּא (and he) גָֽר־ (was staying) שָֽׁם׃ (there). 8  וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ (And departed) הָאִ֜ישׁ (the man) מֵהָעִ֗יר (from the city) מִבֵּ֥ית (from Beth-) לֶ֙חֶם֙ (lehem) יְהוּדָ֔ה (in Judah) לָג֖וּר (to stay) בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר (wherever) יִמְצָ֑א (he could find), וַיָּבֹ֧א (and he came) הַר־ (to the hill country) אֶפְרַ֛יִם (of Ephraim) עַד־ (to) בֵּ֥ית (the house) מִיכָ֖ה (of Micah), לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (as he made) דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃ (his journey).

9  וַיֹּאמֶר־ (And said) ל֥וֹ (to him) מִיכָ֖ה (Micah), מֵאַ֣יִן (From where) תָּב֑וֹא (have you come)

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (and he said) אֵלָ֜יו (to him), לֵוִ֣י (A Levite) אָנֹ֗כִי (I am), מִבֵּ֥ית (from Beth-) לֶ֙חֶם֙ (lehem) יְהוּדָ֔ה (in Judah) וְאָנֹכִ֣י (and I) הֹלֵ֔ךְ (am going) לָג֖וּר (to sojourn) בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר (where) אֶמְצָֽא׃ (I do find).

10  וַיֹּאמֶר֩ (And said) ל֨וֹ (to him) מִיכָ֜ה (Micah) שְׁבָ֣ה (Dwell) עִמָּדִ֗י (with me), וֶֽהְיֵה־ (and be) לִי֮ (to me) לְאָ֣ב (a father) וּלְכֹהֵן֒ (and a priest), וְאָנֹכִ֨י (and I) אֶֽתֶּן־ (will give) לְךָ֜ (to you) עֲשֶׂ֤רֶת (ten shekels) כֶּ֙סֶף֙ (of silver) לַיָּמִ֔ים (for the days), וְעֵ֥רֶךְ (and a suit) בְּגָדִ֖ים (of clothes), וּמִחְיָתֶ֑ךָ (and your sustenance).

וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ (And went in) הַלֵּוִֽי׃ (the Levite). 11  וַיּ֥וֹאֶל (And was willing) הַלֵּוִ֖י (the Levite) לָשֶׁ֣בֶת (to dwell) אֶת־ (with) הָאִ֑ישׁ (the man), וַיְהִ֤י (and became) הַנַּ֙עַר֙ (the young man) ל֔וֹ (to him) כְּאַחַ֖ד (like one) מִבָּנָֽיו׃ (of his sons).

12  וַיְמַלֵּ֤א (And filled) מִיכָה֙ (Micah) אֶת־ (-) יַ֣ד (the hand) הַלֵּוִ֔י (of the Levite), וַיְהִי־ (and was) ל֥וֹ (to him) הַנַּ֖עַר (the young man) לְכֹהֵ֑ן (for a priest), וַיְהִ֖י (and he was) בְּבֵ֥ית (in the house) מִיכָֽה׃ (of Micah). 13  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (And said) מִיכָ֔ה (Micah), עַתָּ֣ה (Now) יָדַ֔עְתִּי (I know) כִּֽי־ (that) יֵיטִ֥יב (will be good) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) לִ֑י (to me), כִּ֧י (since) הָיָה־ (has become) לִ֛י (to me) הַלֵּוִ֖י (a Levite) לְכֹהֵֽן׃ (for a priest).