Chapter 17
Micah’s Idolatry
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Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤅𐤔𐤌𐤅 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤉𐤄𐤅 𐤌𐤄𐤓 𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤌
וַֽיְהִי־ אִ֥ישׁ וּשְׁמ֥וֹ מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ מֵֽהַר־ אֶפְרָ֖יִם way·hî- ’îš ū·šə·mōw mî·ḵā·yə·hū mê·har- ’ep̄·rā·yim — WLC · 1
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said to his mother, “The eleven hundred [shekels] of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse— I have the silver {here} with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤀𐤌𐤅 𐤀𐤋𐤐 𐤅𐤌𐤀𐤄 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤋𐤒𐤇 𐤋𐤊 𐤅𐤂𐤌 𐤁𐤀𐤆𐤍𐤉 𐤅𐤀𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤕 𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤕 𐤄𐤍𐤄 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤀𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤒𐤇𐤕𐤉𐤅 𐤀𐤌𐤅 𐤅𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤊 𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמּ֡וֹ אֶלֶף֩ וּמֵאָ֨ה הַכֶּ֜סֶף אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֻֽקַּֽח־ לָ֗ךְ וְגַם֙ בְּאָזְנַ֔י וְאַתִּי אָמַ֣רְתְּ אָלִית֙ הִנֵּֽה־ הַכֶּ֥סֶף אִתִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י לְקַחְתִּ֑יו אִמּ֔וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר בָּר֥וּךְ בְּנִ֖י לַיהוָֽה׃ way·yō·mer lə·’im·mōw ’e·lep̄ ū·mê·’āh hak·ke·sep̄ ’ă·šer luq·qaḥ- lāḵ wə·ḡam bə·’ā·zə·nay wə·ʾat·tī ’ā·mart ’ā·lîṯ hin·nêh- hak·ke·sep̄ ’it·tî ’ă·nî lə·qaḥ·tîw ’im·mōw wat·tō·mer bā·rūḵ bə·nî Yah·weh — WLC · 2
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And when he had returned… the eleven hundred [shekels] of silver to his mother, [she] said, “I wholly dedicate… the silver to the LORD… for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”
𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤁 𐤀𐤕 𐤀𐤋𐤐 𐤅𐤌𐤀𐤄 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤋𐤀𐤌𐤅 𐤀𐤌𐤅 𐤅𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤄𐤒𐤃𐤔 𐤄𐤒𐤃𐤔𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤋𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤌𐤉𐤃𐤉 𐤋𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤋𐤏𐤔𐤅𐤕 𐤐𐤎𐤋 𐤅𐤌𐤎𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤀𐤔𐤉𐤁𐤍𐤅 𐤋𐤊
וַיָּ֛שֶׁב אֶת־ אֶֽלֶף־ וּמֵאָ֥ה הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ אִמּ֡וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר הַקְדֵּ֣שׁ הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּי אֶת־ הַכֶּסֶף֩ לַיהוָ֨ה מִיָּדִ֜י לִבְנִ֗י לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וְעַתָּ֖ה אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃ way·yā·šeḇ ’eṯ- ’e·lep̄- ū·mê·’āh hak·ke·sep̄ lə·’im·mōw ’im·mōw wat·tō·mer haq·dêš hiq·daš·tî ’eṯ- hak·ke·sep̄ Yah·weh mî·yā·ḏî liḇ·nî la·‘ă·śō·wṯ pe·sel ū·mas·sê·ḵāh wə·‘at·tāh ’ă·šî·ḇen·nū lāḵ — WLC · 3
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So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred [shekels] of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.
𐤅𐤉𐤔𐤁 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤋𐤀𐤌𐤅 𐤀𐤌𐤅 𐤅𐤕𐤒𐤇 𐤌𐤀𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤅𐤕𐤕𐤍𐤄𐤅 𐤋𐤑𐤅𐤓𐤐 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤔𐤄𐤅 𐤐𐤎𐤋 𐤅𐤌𐤎𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤁𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤉𐤄𐤅
וַיָּ֥שֶׁב אֶת־ הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ אִמּוֹ֩ וַתִּקַּ֣ח מָאתַ֨יִם כֶּ֜סֶף וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ לַצּוֹרֵ֗ף וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֙הוּ֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וַיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃ way·yā·šeḇ ’eṯ- hak·ke·sep̄ lə·’im·mōw ’im·mōw wat·tiq·qaḥ mā·ṯa·yim ke·sep̄ wat·tit·tə·nê·hū laṣ·ṣō·w·rêp̄ way·ya·‘ă·śê·hū pe·sel ū·mas·sê·ḵāh way·hî bə·ḇêṯ mî·ḵā·yə·hū — WLC · 4
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Now this man Micah had a shrine…, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained - one of his sons [as] his priest.
𐤅𐤄𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤋𐤅 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤏𐤔 𐤀𐤐𐤅𐤃 𐤅𐤕𐤓𐤐𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤋𐤀 𐤀𐤕 𐤉𐤃 𐤀𐤇𐤃 𐤌𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤋𐤅 𐤋𐤊𐤄𐤍
וְהָאִ֣ישׁ מִיכָ֔ה ל֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אֵפוֹד֙ וּתְרָפִ֔ים וַיְמַלֵּ֗א אֶת־ יַ֤ד אַחַד֙ מִבָּנָ֔יו וַיְהִי־ ל֖וֹ לְכֹהֵֽן׃ wə·hā·’îš mî·ḵāh lōw bêṯ ’ĕ·lō·hîm way·ya·‘aś ’ê·p̄ō·wḏ ū·ṯə·rā·p̄îm way·mal·lê ’eṯ- yaḏ ’a·ḥaḏ mib·bā·nāw way·hî- lōw lə·ḵō·hên — WLC · 5
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In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did [what was] right in his own eyes.
𐤄𐤄𐤌 𐤁𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤌𐤋𐤊 𐤁𐤉𐤔𐤓𐤀𐤋 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤉𐤏𐤔𐤄𐤐 𐤄𐤉𐤔𐤓 𐤁𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤅
הָהֵ֔ם בַּיָּמִ֣ים אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃פ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו hā·hêm bay·yā·mîm ’ên me·leḵ bə·yiś·rā·’êl ’îš ya·‘ă·śeh hay·yā·šār bə·‘ê·nāw — WLC · 6
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And there was a young Levite vvv from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing… within the clan of Judah.
𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤍𐤏𐤓 𐤅𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤋𐤅𐤉 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤋𐤇𐤌 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄 𐤅𐤄𐤅𐤀 𐤂𐤓 𐤔𐤌 𐤌𐤌𐤔𐤐𐤇𐤕 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄
וַיְהִי־ נַ֗עַר וְה֥וּא לֵוִ֖י מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְה֥וּא גָֽר־ שָֽׁם׃ מִמִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת יְהוּדָ֑ה way·hî- na·‘ar wə·hū lê·wî mib·bêṯ le·ḥem yə·hū·ḏāh wə·hū ḡār- šām mim·miš·pa·ḥaṯ yə·hū·ḏāh — WLC · 7
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This man left the city vvv of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find [a place]. And as he traveled…, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
𐤄𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤅𐤉𐤋𐤊 𐤌𐤄𐤏𐤉𐤓 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤋𐤇𐤌 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄 𐤋𐤂𐤅𐤓 𐤁𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤉𐤌𐤑𐤀 𐤋𐤏𐤔𐤅𐤕 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤅 𐤅𐤉𐤁𐤀 𐤏𐤃 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤄𐤓 𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤌
הָאִ֜ישׁ וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ מֵהָעִ֗יר מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה לָג֖וּר בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יִמְצָ֑א לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃ וַיָּבֹ֧א עַד־ מִיכָ֖ה בֵּ֥ית הַר־ אֶפְרַ֛יִם hā·’îš way·yê·leḵ mê·hā·‘îr mib·bêṯ le·ḥem yə·hū·ḏāh lā·ḡūr ba·’ă·šer yim·ṣā la·‘ă·śō·wṯ dar·kōw way·yā·ḇō ‘aḏ- mî·ḵāh bêṯ har- ’ep̄·ra·yim — WLC · 8
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“Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite vvv from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied…, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”
𐤌𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤀 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤅 𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 𐤋𐤅𐤉 𐤌𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤋𐤇𐤌 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤅 𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 𐤄𐤋𐤊 𐤋𐤂𐤅𐤓 𐤁𐤀𐤔𐤓 𐤀𐤌𐤑𐤀
מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא מִיכָ֖ה וַיֹּאמֶר־ ל֥וֹ אָנֹ֗כִי לֵוִ֣י מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֙חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו וְאָנֹכִ֣י הֹלֵ֔ךְ לָג֖וּר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶמְצָֽא׃ mê·’a·yin tā·ḇō·w mî·ḵāh way·yō·mer- lōw ’ā·nō·ḵî lê·wî mib·bêṯ le·ḥem yə·hū·ḏāh way·yō·mer ’ê·lāw wə·’ā·nō·ḵî hō·lêḵ lā·ḡūr ba·’ă·šer ’em·ṣā — WLC · 9
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“Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten [shekels] of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in
𐤔𐤁𐤄 𐤏𐤌𐤃𐤉 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤅 𐤅𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤋𐤉 𐤋𐤀𐤁 𐤅𐤋𐤊𐤄𐤍 𐤅𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤕𐤍 𐤋𐤊 𐤏𐤔𐤓𐤕 𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤋𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤏𐤓𐤊 𐤁𐤂𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤕𐤊 𐤄𐤋𐤅𐤉 𐤅𐤉𐤋𐤊
שְׁבָ֣ה עִמָּדִ֗י מִיכָ֜ה וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ל֨וֹ וֶֽהְיֵה־ לִי֮ לְאָ֣ב וּלְכֹהֵן֒ וְאָנֹכִ֨י אֶֽתֶּן־ לְךָ֜ עֲשֶׂ֤רֶת כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לַיָּמִ֔ים וְעֵ֥רֶךְ בְּגָדִ֖ים וּמִחְיָתֶ֑ךָ הַלֵּוִֽי׃ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ šə·ḇāh ‘im·mā·ḏî mî·ḵāh way·yō·mer lōw weh·yêh- lî lə·’āḇ ū·lə·ḵō·hên wə·’ā·nō·ḵî ’et·ten- lə·ḵā ‘ă·śe·reṯ ke·sep̄ lay·yā·mîm wə·‘ê·reḵ bə·ḡā·ḏîm ū·miḥ·yā·ṯe·ḵā hal·lê·wî way·yê·leḵ — WLC · 10
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and agreed… to stay with [him], and the young man became like a son to Micah.
𐤅𐤉𐤅𐤀𐤋 𐤄𐤋𐤅𐤉 𐤋𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤄𐤍𐤏𐤓 𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤊𐤀𐤇𐤃 𐤌𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤋𐤅
וַיּ֥וֹאֶל הַלֵּוִ֖י לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־ הָאִ֑ישׁ הַנַּ֙עַר֙ וַיְהִ֤י כְּאַחַ֖ד מִבָּנָֽיו׃ ל֔וֹ way·yō·w·’el hal·lê·wî lā·še·ḇeṯ ’eṯ- hā·’îš han·na·‘ar way·hî kə·’a·ḥaḏ mib·bā·nāw lōw — WLC · 11
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Micah ordained… the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in [his] house.
𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤀𐤕 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤃 𐤄𐤋𐤅𐤉 𐤄𐤍𐤏𐤓 𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤋𐤅 𐤋𐤊𐤄𐤍 𐤅𐤉𐤄𐤉 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤁𐤁𐤉𐤕
מִיכָה֙ אֶת־ וַיְמַלֵּ֤א יַ֣ד הַלֵּוִ֔י הַנַּ֖עַר וַיְהִי־ ל֥וֹ לְכֹהֵ֑ן וַיְהִ֖י מִיכָֽה׃ בְּבֵ֥ית mî·ḵāh ’eṯ- way·mal·lê yaḏ hal·lê·wî han·na·‘ar way·hî- lōw lə·ḵō·hên way·hî mî·ḵāh bə·ḇêṯ — WLC · 12
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Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”
𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 𐤅𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤉𐤃𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 𐤉𐤉𐤈𐤉𐤁 𐤋𐤉 𐤊𐤉 𐤄𐤋𐤅𐤉 𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤋𐤉 𐤋𐤊𐤄𐤍
מִיכָ֔ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּֽי־ יְהוָ֖ה יֵיטִ֥יב לִ֑י כִּ֧י הַלֵּוִ֖י הָיָה־ לִ֛י לְכֹהֵֽן׃ mî·ḵāh way·yō·mer ‘at·tāh yā·ḏa‘·tî kî- Yah·weh yê·ṭîḇ lî kî hal·lê·wî hā·yāh- lî lə·ḵō·hên — WLC · 13