Judges 17
The full text of Judges 17 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
1 Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 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!"
3 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."
4 So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels of it and gave it to a silversmith, who made it into an image overlaid with silver. And it was put in Micah's house.
5 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.
6 In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
7 A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah,
8 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.
9 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."
10 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 food."
11 So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
12 Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.
13 And Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest."
Translation notes (5)
- Judges 17:3a The Hebrew phrase pesel u-massekah, translated as "an image overlaid with silver," refers to a carved image and a cast metal one, or possibly a carved image overlaid with cast metal; the exact construction is uncertain. The mother dedicates silver "to the LORD" to make an idol, an irony the narrator lets stand without judgment.
- Judges 17:5a The Hebrew word teraphim, translated as "household gods," refers to small domestic idols used in worship and divination. The phrase "installed" literally means "filled the hand of," which is a technical idiom for ordaining a priest; here it is applied irregularly to Micah's own son. This irregularity is reported plainly and is not judged here.
- Judges 17:6a The phrase "everyone did as they saw fit" literally translates "each man did what was right in his own eyes," which is a recurring editorial frame in the book's final chapters (compare 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). This phrase marks the religious and moral chaos that follows, without itself endorsing or condemning monarchy. The theology of this frame is not judged here.
- Judges 17:10a The phrase "be my father" uses "father" as an honorific title for a priestly adviser. The Levite is hired for a salary, which is an irregular arrangement that the narrator reports without comment.
- Judges 17:13a Micah's confidence rests on idolatry, stolen money, and an irregular priesthood; the narrator reports his words plainly and lets the irony stand. The theology of his assumption is not judged here.
About this translation
You are reading the Trinity Bible Version (TBV) — an original 2026 translation made straight from the Hebrew, in clear modern English, exclusive to Trinity Bible. Every chapter of every book is free to read online. For the study edition — with Hebrew and Greek on every verse and the full translation notes — open Judges in the Trinity Bible app.
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