Micah’s Idolatry

1And there was a man of mount Ephraim, and his name was Michaias. 2And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver which thou tookest of thyself, and about which thou cursedst me, and spokest in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it: and his mother said, Blessed be my son of the Lord. 3And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I had wholly consecrated the money to the Lord out of my hand for my son, to make a graven and a molten image, and now I will restore it to thee. 4But he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, and he made it a graven and a molten image; and it was in the house of Michaias. 5And the house of Michaias was to him the house of God, and he made an ephod and theraphin, and he consecrated one of his sons, and he became to him a priest. 6And in those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

7And there was a young man in Bethleem of the tribe of Juda, and he was a Levite, and he was sojourning there. 8And the man departed from Bethleem the city of Juda to sojourn in whatever place he might find; and he came as far as mount Ephraim, and to the house of Michaias to accomplish his journey. 9And Michaias said to him, Whence comest thou? and he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethleem Juda, and I go to sojourn in any place I may find. 10And Michaias said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest; and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a change of raiment, and thy living. 11And the Levite went and began to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons. 12And Michaias consecrated the Levite, and he became to him a priest, and he was in the house of Michaias. 13And Michaias said, Now I know that the Lord will do me good, because a Levite has become my priest.