Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

A man from Mount Ephraim had a son named Micah. The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, about which you cursed and spoke in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. His mother said, "Blessed be you of the Lord, my son." When he restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, "I dedicated the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image; now I will restore it to you."

Yet he returned the money to his mother. She took two hundred shekels of silver from it and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image. They were placed in Micah's house. The man Micah had a household of idols, where he made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons to serve as his priest.

In those days there was no king in Israel, and each person did what seemed right to them. A young Levite from Bethlehem-judah sojourned there, seeking a place to settle. He came to the hill-country of Ephraim, arriving at the house of Micah as he traveled.

Micah welcomed him warmly and said, "Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food." The Levite gladly accepted Micah's offer and was content to live with him. As time passed, the young Levite became like one of Micah's own sons.

Micah consecrated the Levite as his priest, and he began serving in Micah's household. Then Micah said to himself, "I am convinced that the Lord will bless me since I have a Levite serving as my priest."