There was a man named Micah who lived in the mountains of Ephraim.

He said to his mother, "I heard you speak a curse about the twenty-eight pounds of silver that were taken from you. I have the silver with me; I took it." His mother said, "The Lord bless you, my son!"

Micah gave the twenty-eight pounds of silver to his mother. Then she said, "I will give this silver to the Lord. I will have my son make an idol and a statue. So I will give the silver back to you."

When he gave the silver back to his mother, she took about five pounds and gave it to a silversmith. With it he made an idol and a statue, which stood in Micah's house.

Micah had a special holy place, and he made a holy vest and some household idols. Then Micah chose one of his sons to be his priest.

At that time Israel did not have a king, so everyone did what seemed right.

There was a young man who was a Leviten from the city of Bethlehem in Judah who was from the people of Judah.

He left Bethlehem to look for another place to live, and on his way he came to Micah's house in the mountains of Ephraim.

Micah asked him, "Where are you from?" He answered, "I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I'm looking for a place to live."

Micah said to him, "Live with me and be my father and my priest. I will give you four ounces of silver each year and clothes and food." So the Levite went in.

He agreed to live with Micah and became like one of Micah's own sons.

Micah made him a priest, and he lived in Micah's house.

Then Micah said, "Now I know the Lord will be good to me, because I have a Levite as my priest."