III.
Israel's becoming corrupted
17:1—21:25
A.
The abominable chaos in their worship
17:1—18:31
Judg. 17
:1
17:1
Now there was a man from the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.
Judg. 17
:2
17:2
And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse and spoke it in my hearing — look, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed of Jehovah be my son!
Judg. 17
:3
17:3
And he returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, I do consecrate the silver to Jehovah from my hand to my son to make a sculptured
1aidol and a molten image. Now therefore I will return it to you.
Judg. 17
:4
17:4
And when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the
afounder, who made them into a sculptured idol and a molten image. And it was in the house of Micah.
Judg. 17
:5
17:5
And the man Micah had a
1house of gods; and he made an
aephod and teraphim, and
2consecrated one of his sons to become his priest.
Judg. 17
:6
17:6
In those days there was
1ano king in Israel; everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
Judg. 17
:7
17:7
And there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he was a sojourner there.
Judg. 17
:8
17:8
And the man left the city Bethlehem in Judah to dwell wherever he could find
a place. And he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he made his way.
Judg. 17
:9
17:9
And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am traveling in order to dwell wherever I can find
a place.
Judg. 17
:10
17:10
And Micah said to him, Stay with me, and be a father and a priest to me; and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and an array of clothing and your food. So the Levite went
with him.
Judg. 17
:11
17:11
And the Levite was content to stay with the man; and the young man was to him like one of his sons.
Judg. 17
:12
17:12
And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his
apriest and was in the house of Micah.
Judg. 17
:13
17:13
Then Micah said, Now I know that Jehovah will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest.
