Judges

Chapter 17

Phonetic (Hebrew): vaֽyehiy-'i֥yshsh meֽhar-'epera֖yim ushshem֥o miykaֽyehu׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

וַֽיְהִי־אִ֥ישׁ מֵֽהַר־אֶפְרָ֖יִם וּשְׁמ֥וֹ מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּo֣'mer le'imּ֡o 'elep֩ ume'a֨h hakּe֜sep 'ashshe֣r luֽqּaֽch-la֗ke v'ty ve'a֤tּe 'aliyt֙ vegam֙ 'ama֣retּe bּe'azena֔y hinּeֽh-hakּe֥sep 'itּi֖y 'ani֣y leqachetּi֑yv vatּo֣'mer 'imּ֔o bּar֥uke bּeni֖y layhvaֽh׃

Edified Edition (EDE)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 that silver with me; I took it." Then his mother said, "The LORD bless you, my son!"

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאִמּ֡וֹ אֶלֶף֩ וּמֵאָ֨ה הַכֶּ֜סֶף אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֻֽקַּֽח־לָ֗ךְ ואתי וְאַ֤תְּ אָלִית֙ וְגַם֙ אָמַ֣רְתְּ בְּאָזְנַ֔י הִנֵּֽה־הַכֶּ֥סֶף אִתִּ֖י אֲנִ֣י לְקַחְתִּ֑יו וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִמּ֔וֹ בָּר֥וּךְ בְּנִ֖י לַיהוָֽה׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּa֛shsheb 'et-'eֽlep-ume'a֥h hakּe֖sep le'imּ֑o vatּo֣'mer 'imּ֡o haqedּe֣shsh hiqedּa֣shshetּiy 'et-hakּesep֩ layhva֨h miyּadi֜y libeni֗y laֽ'ashsot֙ pּe֣sel umasּeka֔h ve'atּa֖h 'ashshiybe֥nּu laֽke׃

Edified Edition (EDE)When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I solemnly consecrate my silver to the LORD for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you."

וַיָּ֛שֶׁב אֶת־אֶֽלֶף־וּמֵאָ֥ה הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אִמּ֡וֹ הַקְדֵּ֣שׁ הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּי אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף֩ לַיהוָ֨ה מִיָּדִ֜י לִבְנִ֗י לַֽעֲשׂוֹת֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וְעַתָּ֖ה אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ לָֽךְ׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּa֥shsheb 'et-hakּe֖sep le'imּ֑o vatּiqּa֣ch 'imּo֩ ma'ta֨yim kּe֜sep vatּitּene֣hu latzּore֗p vaֽyּa'ashse֨hu֙ pּe֣sel umasּeka֔h vayehi֖y bּebe֥yt miykaֽyehu׃

Edified Edition (EDE)So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.

וַיָּ֥שֶׁב אֶת־הַכֶּ֖סֶף לְאִמּ֑וֹ וַתִּקַּ֣ח אִמּוֹ֩ מָאתַ֨יִם כֶּ֜סֶף וַתִּתְּנֵ֣הוּ לַצּוֹרֵ֗ף וַֽיַּעֲשֵׂ֨הוּ֙ פֶּ֣סֶל וּמַסֵּכָ֔ה וַיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽיְהוּ׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): veha'i֣yshsh miyka֔h l֖o bּe֣yt 'elohi֑ym vayּa֤'ashs 'epod֙ uterapi֔ym vayemalּe֗ 'et-ya֤d 'achad֙ mibּana֔yv vayehiy-l֖o lekoheֽn׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest.

וְהָאִ֣ישׁ מִיכָ֔ה ל֖וֹ בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אֵפוֹד֙ וּתְרָפִ֔ים וַיְמַלֵּ֗א אֶת־יַ֤ד אַחַד֙ מִבָּנָ֔יו וַיְהִי־ל֖וֹ לְכֹהֵֽן׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): bּayּami֣ym hahe֔m 'e֥yn me֖leke bּeyishsera'e֑l 'i֛yshsh hayּashsha֥r bּe'eyna֖yv ya'ashseֽh׃p

Edified Edition (EDE)In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.

בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃פ

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayehiy-na֗'ar mibּe֥yt le֨chem֙ yehuda֔h mimּishshepּa֖chat yehuda֑h veh֥u levi֖y veh֥u gaֽr-shshaֽm׃

Edified Edition (EDE)A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah,

וַיְהִי־נַ֗עַר מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֨חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִמִּשְׁפַּ֖חַת יְהוּדָ֑ה וְה֥וּא לֵוִ֖י וְה֥וּא גָֽר־שָֽׁם׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּe֨leke ha'i֜yshsh meha'i֗yr mibּe֥yt le֨chem֙ yehuda֔h lag֖ur bּa'ashshe֣r yimetza֑ vayּabo֧ har-'epera֛yim 'ad-bּe֥yt miyka֖h la'ashs֥ot dּarekּֽo׃

Edified Edition (EDE)left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ הָאִ֜ישׁ מֵהָעִ֗יר מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֨חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה לָג֖וּר בַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר יִמְצָ֑א וַיָּבֹ֧א הַר־אֶפְרַ֛יִם עַד־בֵּ֥ית מִיכָ֖ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת דַּרְכּֽוֹ׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּo'mer-l֥o miyka֖h me'a֣yin tּab֑o vayּo֨'mer 'ela֜yv levi֣y 'ano֗kiy mibּe֥yt le֨chem֙ yehuda֔h ve'anoki֣y hole֔ke lag֖ur bּa'ashshe֥r 'emetzaֽ'׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" "I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah," he said, "and I’m looking for a place to stay."

וַיֹּאמֶר־ל֥וֹ מִיכָ֖ה מֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֑וֹא וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו לֵוִ֣י אָנֹ֗כִי מִבֵּ֥ית לֶ֨חֶם֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאָנֹכִ֣י הֹלֵ֔ךְ לָג֖וּר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶמְצָֽא׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּo'mer֩ l֨o miyka֜h shsheba֣h 'imּadi֗y veֽheyeh-liy֮ le'a֣b ulekohen֒ ve'anoki֨y 'eֽtּen-leka֜ 'ashse֤ret kּe֨sep֙ layּami֔ym ve'e֥reke bּegadi֖ym umicheyate֑ka vayּe֖leke halּeviֽy׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Then Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels of silver a year, your clothes and your real-life expenses."

וַיֹּאמֶר֩ ל֨וֹ מִיכָ֜ה שְׁבָ֣ה עִמָּדִ֗י וֶֽהְיֵה־לִי֮ לְאָ֣ב וּלְכֹהֵן֒ וְאָנֹכִ֨י אֶֽתֶּן־לְךָ֜ עֲשֶׂ֤רֶת כֶּ֨סֶף֙ לַיָּמִ֔ים וְעֵ֥רֶךְ בְּגָדִ֖ים וּמִחְיָתֶ֑ךָ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ הַלֵּוִֽי׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּ֥o'el halּevi֖y lashshe֣bet 'et-ha'i֑yshsh vayehi֤y hanּa֨'ar֙ l֔o kּe'acha֖d mibּanaֽyv׃

Edified Edition (EDE)So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.

וַיּ֥וֹאֶל הַלֵּוִ֖י לָשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶת־הָאִ֑ישׁ וַיְהִ֤י הַנַּ֨עַר֙ ל֔וֹ כְּאַחַ֖ד מִבָּנָֽיו׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayemalּe֤ miykah֙ 'et-ya֣d halּevi֔y vayehiy-l֥o hanּa֖'ar lekohe֑n vayehi֖y bּebe֥yt miykaֽh׃

Edified Edition (EDE)Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.

וַיְמַלֵּ֤א מִיכָה֙ אֶת־יַ֣ד הַלֵּוִ֔י וַיְהִי־ל֥וֹ הַנַּ֖עַר לְכֹהֵ֑ן וַיְהִ֖י בְּבֵ֥ית מִיכָֽה׃

Phonetic (Hebrew): vayּo֣'mer miyka֔h 'atּa֣h yada֔'etּiy kּiֽy-yeyti֥yb yehva֖h li֑y kּi֧y hayah-li֛y halּevi֖y lekoheֽn׃

Edified Edition (EDE)And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest." Personal legitimacy was sought through religious association.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מִיכָ֔ה עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּֽי־יֵיטִ֥יב יְהוָ֖ה לִ֑י כִּ֧י הָיָה־לִ֛י הַלֵּוִ֖י לְכֹהֵֽן׃