Judges 17

Mikah from the mountains of Ephrayim returns 1,100 shekels of stolen silver to his mother, who dedicates 200 shekels to YHWH for crafting a pesel (carved image) and massekhah (molded image), which he sets up in his house along with an ephod and teraphim, appointing one of his sons as kohen.[1][2][5] A wandering Levite from Beit-Lekhem accepts Mikah's hire as kohen for ten shekels yearly, leading Mikah to superstitiously believe YHWH will prosper him for having a Levite priest, epitomizing the era when 'each man did what was right in his own eyes.'[1][2]

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Interlinear Text

Verse 2
And he said and he said and he said to his mother to his mother to his mother a thousand thousand-unit thousand-unit and a hundred and one hundred and one hundred pieces of silver the silver the silver which that-which that which were taken was seized it was taken from you — from you you and you and you you and you and you uttered a curse you swore an oath you uttered a curse and also and also and also spoke you said you said in my ears in my ears in my ears behold Look! look the silver the silver the silver with me with me with me I I I took it I took him I took it And she said and she said and she said his mother his mother his mother Blessed blessed one blessed one my son my son my son to the LORD to Yahweh to Yahweh
וַ/יֹּ֣אמֶר 𐤅/𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 vayomer And he said and he said and he said HC/Vqw3ms לְ/אִמּ֡/וֹ 𐤋/𐤀𐤌/𐤅 leimo to his mother to his mother to his mother HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms אֶלֶף֩ 𐤀𐤋𐤐 elef a thousand thousand-unit thousand-unit HAcbsa וּ/מֵאָ֨ה 𐤅/𐤌𐤀𐤄 umeah and a hundred and one hundred and one hundred HC/Acbsa הַ/כֶּ֜סֶף 𐤄/𐤊𐤎𐤐 hakesef pieces of silver the silver the silver HTd/Ncmsa אֲשֶׁ֣ר 𐤀𐤔𐤓 asher which that-which that which HTr לֻֽקַּֽח 𐤋𐤒𐤇 luqach were taken was seized it was taken HVPp3ms לָ֗/ךְ 𐤋/𐤊 lakhe from you from you HR/Sp2fs ו/אתי 𐤅/𐤀𐤕𐤉 vty you and you and you HC/Pp2fs וְ/אַ֤תְּ 𐤅/𐤀𐤕 veate you and you and you HC/Pp2fs אָלִית֙ 𐤀𐤋𐤉𐤕 alit uttered a curse you swore an oath you uttered a curse HVqp2fs וְ/גַם֙ 𐤅/𐤂𐤌 vegam and also and also and also HC/Ta אָמַ֣רְתְּ 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤕 amarete spoke you said you said HVqp2fs בְּ/אָזְנַ֔/י 𐤁/𐤀𐤆𐤍/𐤉 beazenay in my ears in my ears in my ears HR/Ncfdc/Sp1cs הִנֵּֽה 𐤄𐤍𐤄 hineh mona (Bemba) behold Look! look HTm הַ/כֶּ֥סֶף 𐤄/𐤊𐤎𐤐 hakesef-2 the silver the silver the silver HTd/Ncmsa אִתִּ֖/י 𐤀𐤕/𐤉 iti with me with me with me HR/Sp1cs אֲנִ֣י 𐤀𐤍𐤉 ani Ine (Bemba) I I I HPp1cs לְקַחְתִּ֑י/ו 𐤋𐤒𐤇𐤕𐤉/𐤅 leqachetiv took it I took him I took it HVqp1cs/Sp3ms וַ/תֹּ֣אמֶר 𐤅/𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓 vatomer And she said and she said and she said HC/Vqw3fs אִמּ֔/וֹ 𐤀𐤌/𐤅 imo his mother his mother his mother HNcfsc/Sp3ms בָּר֥וּךְ 𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤊 barukhe baraka (Swahili) Blessed blessed one blessed one HVqsmsa בְּנִ֖/י 𐤁𐤍/𐤉 beni Bene (Bemba) my son my son my son HNcmsc/Sp1cs לַ/יהוָֽה 𐤋/𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 layhvah Nyambe (Lozi) to the LORD to Yahweh to Yahweh HR/Np
Verse 3
and he restored and he caused to return and he caused to return the object-marker [·] eleven hundred thousand-unit thousand-unit hundred and one hundred and one hundred shekels of silver the silver the silver to his mother to his mother to his mother and she said and she said and she said his mother his mother his mother I wholly dedicate to consecrate I consecrate I dedicated I set apart as holy I consecrated the object-marker [·] silver the silver the silver to the LORD to Yahweh to Yahweh from my hand from my hand from my hand for my son to my son for my son to make to do or make to make a graven image carved idol a carved idol and a molten image poured metal image and a molten image now therefore and now and now I will restore it I will cause him to return I will restore it to you — to you
וַ/יָּ֛שֶׁב 𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤁 vayashev and he restored and he caused to return and he caused to return HC/Vhw3ms אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et the object-marker [·] HTo אֶֽלֶף 𐤀𐤋𐤐 elef eleven hundred thousand-unit thousand-unit HAcbsa וּ/מֵאָ֥ה 𐤅/𐤌𐤀𐤄 umeah hundred and one hundred and one hundred HC/Acbsa הַ/כֶּ֖סֶף 𐤄/𐤊𐤎𐤐 hakesef shekels of silver the silver the silver HTd/Ncmsa לְ/אִמּ֑/וֹ 𐤋/𐤀𐤌/𐤅 leimo to his mother to his mother to his mother HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms וַ/תֹּ֣אמֶר 𐤅/𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓 vatomer and she said and she said and she said HC/Vqw3fs אִמּ֡/וֹ 𐤀𐤌/𐤅 imo his mother his mother his mother HNcfsc/Sp3ms הַקְדֵּ֣שׁ 𐤄𐤒𐤃𐤔 haqedesh I wholly dedicate to consecrate I consecrate HVha הִקְדַּ֣שְׁתִּי 𐤄𐤒𐤃𐤔𐤕𐤉 hiqedasheti I dedicated I set apart as holy I consecrated HVhp1cs אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et-2 the object-marker [·] HTo הַ/כֶּסֶף֩ 𐤄/𐤊𐤎𐤐 hakesef-2 silver the silver the silver HTd/Ncmsa לַ/יהוָ֨ה 𐤋/𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 layhvah Nyambe (Lozi) to the LORD to Yahweh to Yahweh HR/Np מִ/יָּדִ֜/י 𐤌/𐤉𐤃/𐤉 miyadi from my hand from my hand from my hand HR/Ncbsc/Sp1cs לִ/בְנִ֗/י 𐤋/𐤁𐤍/𐤉 liveni Bene (Bemba) for my son to my son for my son HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cs לַֽ/עֲשׂוֹת֙ 𐤋/𐤏𐤔𐤅𐤕 laasot to make to do or make to make HR/Vqc פֶּ֣סֶל 𐤐𐤎𐤋 pesel a graven image carved idol a carved idol HNcmsa וּ/מַסֵּכָ֔ה 𐤅/𐤌𐤎𐤊𐤄 umasekhah and a molten image poured metal image and a molten image HC/Ncfsa וְ/עַתָּ֖ה 𐤅/𐤏𐤕𐤄 veatah now therefore and now and now HC/D אֲשִׁיבֶ֥/נּוּ 𐤀𐤔𐤉𐤁/𐤍𐤅 ashivenu I will restore it I will cause him to return I will restore it HVhi1cs/Sp3ms לָֽ/ךְ 𐤋/𐤊 lakhe to you to you HR/Sp2fs
Verse 4
and he restored and he caused to return and he caused to return [direct object marker] object-marker [·] the silver the silver the silver to his mother to his mother to his mother and she took and she took and she took his mother his mother his mother two hundred two hundred two hundred silver silver silver and she gave it and she gave him and she gave it to the silversmith to the refiner to the silversmith and he made it and he made him and he made it a carved image carved idol carved idol and a molten image poured metal image and poured metal image and it was and he became and it was in house in the house of in the house of of Micah Who-is-like-Yahweh Mikhahu
וַ/יָּ֥שֶׁב 𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤁 vayashev and he restored and he caused to return and he caused to return HC/Vhw3ms אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et [direct object marker] object-marker [·] HTo הַ/כֶּ֖סֶף 𐤄/𐤊𐤎𐤐 hakesef the silver the silver the silver HTd/Ncmsa לְ/אִמּ֑/וֹ 𐤋/𐤀𐤌/𐤅 leimo to his mother to his mother to his mother HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms וַ/תִּקַּ֣ח 𐤅/𐤕𐤒𐤇 vatiqach and she took and she took and she took HC/Vqw3fs אִמּ/וֹ֩ 𐤀𐤌/𐤅 imo his mother his mother his mother HNcfsc/Sp3ms מָאתַ֨יִם 𐤌𐤀𐤕𐤉𐤌 matayim two hundred two hundred two hundred HAcbda כֶּ֜סֶף 𐤊𐤎𐤐 kesef silver silver silver HNcmsa וַ/תִּתְּנֵ֣/הוּ 𐤅/𐤕𐤕𐤍/𐤄𐤅 vatitenehu and she gave it and she gave him and she gave it HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3ms לַ/צּוֹרֵ֗ף 𐤋/𐤑𐤅𐤓𐤐 latsoref to the silversmith to the refiner to the silversmith HRd/Vqrmsa וַֽ/יַּעֲשֵׂ֨/הוּ֙ 𐤅/𐤉𐤏𐤔/𐤄𐤅 vayaasehu and he made it and he made him and he made it HC/Vqw3ms/Sp3ms פֶּ֣סֶל 𐤐𐤎𐤋 pesel a carved image carved idol carved idol HNcmsa וּ/מַסֵּכָ֔ה 𐤅/𐤌𐤎𐤊𐤄 umasekhah and a molten image poured metal image and poured metal image HC/Ncfsa וַ/יְהִ֖י 𐤅/𐤉𐤄𐤉 vayehi and it was and he became and it was HC/Vqw3ms בְּ/בֵ֥ית 𐤁/𐤁𐤉𐤕 beveyt in house in the house of in the house of HR/Ncmsc מִיכָֽיְהוּ 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤉𐤄𐤅 mikhayehu of Micah Who-is-like-Yahweh Mikhahu HNp
Verse 5
And the man and the man and the man Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah for himself — for himself house house-of house of of gods mighty ones Elohim and he made and he did and he did an ephod priestly ceremonial vestment ephod and teraphim household cult-objects household cult-objects and he consecrated and he filled fully and he filled fully [direct object marker] object-marker [·] hand open hand open hand one one one of his sons from his sons from his sons and he became and he became and it was to him — to him a priest to a priest-officiant to a priest
וְ/הָ/אִ֣ישׁ 𐤅/𐤄/𐤀𐤉𐤔 vehaish And the man and the man and the man HC/Td/Ncmsa מִיכָ֔ה 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 mikhah Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah HNp ל֖/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo for himself for himself HR/Sp3ms בֵּ֣ית 𐤁𐤉𐤕 beyt house house-of house of HNcmsc אֱלֹהִ֑ים 𐤀𐤋𐤄𐤉𐤌 elohim Mulimu (Lozi) of gods mighty ones Elohim HNcmpa וַ/יַּ֤עַשׂ 𐤅/𐤉𐤏𐤔 vayaas and he made and he did and he did HC/Vqw3ms אֵפוֹד֙ 𐤀𐤐𐤅𐤃 efod an ephod priestly ceremonial vestment ephod HNcmsa וּ/תְרָפִ֔ים 𐤅/𐤕𐤓𐤐𐤉𐤌 uterafim and teraphim household cult-objects household cult-objects HC/Ncmpa וַ/יְמַלֵּ֗א 𐤅/𐤉𐤌𐤋𐤀 vayemale and he consecrated and he filled fully and he filled fully HC/Vpw3ms אֶת 𐤀𐤕 et [direct object marker] object-marker [·] HTo יַ֤ד 𐤉𐤃 yad hand open hand open hand HNcbsc אַחַד֙ 𐤀𐤇𐤃 achad Eka (Bemba) one one one HAcmsa מִ/בָּנָ֔י/ו 𐤌/𐤁𐤍𐤉/𐤅 mibanayv Bene (Bemba) of his sons from his sons from his sons HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms וַ/יְהִי 𐤅/𐤉𐤄𐤉 vayehi and he became and he became and it was HC/Vqw3ms ל֖/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo-2 to him to him HR/Sp3ms לְ/כֹהֵֽן 𐤋/𐤊𐤄𐤍 lekhohen a priest to a priest-officiant to a priest HR/Ncmsa
Verse 8
And he went and he went and he went the man the man the man from the city from the city from the city from Beth from (the) built-house of from Beyt Lechem lehem bread Beyt Lechem Judah Yah Is Praised Yehudah to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner to sojourn as a foreigner where in that-which in that-which he might find he finds he finds and he came and he came and he came mount mountain of mountain of Ephraim Double Fruitfulness Eferayim to up to up to house house-of house of of Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah to do to do or make to do his way his path his way
וַ/יֵּ֨לֶךְ 𐤅/𐤉𐤋𐤊 vayelekhe And he went and he went and he went HC/Vqw3ms הָ/אִ֜ישׁ 𐤄/𐤀𐤉𐤔 haish the man the man the man HTd/Ncmsa מֵ/הָ/עִ֗יר 𐤌/𐤄/𐤏𐤉𐤓 mehair from the city from the city from the city HR/Td/Ncfsa מִ/בֵּ֥ית 𐤌/𐤁𐤉𐤕 mibeyt from Beth from (the) built-house of from Beyt Lechem HR/Np לֶ֨חֶם֙ 𐤋𐤇𐤌 lechem lehem bread Beyt Lechem HNp יְהוּדָ֔ה 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄 yehudah Judah Yah Is Praised Yehudah HNp לָ/ג֖וּר 𐤋/𐤂𐤅𐤓 lagur to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner to sojourn as a foreigner HR/Vqc בַּ/אֲשֶׁ֣ר 𐤁/𐤀𐤔𐤓 baasher where in that-which in that-which HR/Tr יִמְצָ֑א 𐤉𐤌𐤑𐤀 yimetsa he might find he finds he finds HVqi3ms וַ/יָּבֹ֧א 𐤅/𐤉𐤁𐤀 vayavo and he came and he came and he came HC/Vqw3ms הַר 𐤄𐤓 har mount mountain of mountain of HNcmsc אֶפְרַ֛יִם 𐤀𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤌 eferayim Ephraim Double Fruitfulness Eferayim HNp עַד 𐤏𐤃 ad to up to up to HR בֵּ֥ית 𐤁𐤉𐤕 beyt house house-of house of HNcmsc מִיכָ֖ה 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 mikhah of Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah HNp לַ/עֲשׂ֥וֹת 𐤋/𐤏𐤔𐤅𐤕 laasot to do to do or make to do HR/Vqc דַּרְכּֽ/וֹ 𐤃𐤓𐤊/𐤅 dareko his way his path his way HNcbsc/Sp3ms
Verse 9
And he said and he said and he said to him — to him Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah From where from where? from where? do you come you will come do you come And he said and he said and he said to him toward him to him A Levite Joined-One Leviyi I I myself I myself from Bethlehem from (the) built-house of from Beyt Lechem Bethlehem bread Beyt Lechem in Judah Yah Is Praised Yehudah and I and I and I am going the one walking am going to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner to sojourn as a foreigner wherever in that-which in that-which I may find I will find I will find
וַ/יֹּאמֶר 𐤅/𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 vayomer And he said and he said and he said HC/Vqw3ms ל֥/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo to him to him HR/Sp3ms מִיכָ֖ה 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 mikhah Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah HNp מֵ/אַ֣יִן 𐤌/𐤀𐤉𐤍 meayin From where from where? from where? HR/Ti תָּב֑וֹא 𐤕𐤁𐤅𐤀 tavo do you come you will come do you come HVqi2ms וַ/יֹּ֨אמֶר 𐤅/𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 vayomer-2 And he said and he said and he said HC/Vqw3ms אֵלָ֜י/ו 𐤀𐤋𐤉/𐤅 elayv to him toward him to him HR/Sp3ms לֵוִ֣י 𐤋𐤅𐤉 levi A Levite Joined-One Leviyi HNgmsa אָנֹ֗כִי 𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 anokhi ine-neka (Bemba) I I myself I myself HPp1cs מִ/בֵּ֥ית 𐤌/𐤁𐤉𐤕 mibeyt from Bethlehem from (the) built-house of from Beyt Lechem HR/Np לֶ֨חֶם֙ 𐤋𐤇𐤌 lechem Bethlehem bread Beyt Lechem HNp יְהוּדָ֔ה 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤃𐤄 yehudah in Judah Yah Is Praised Yehudah HNp וְ/אָנֹכִ֣י 𐤅/𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 veanokhi ine-neka (Bemba) and I and I and I HC/Pp1cs הֹלֵ֔ךְ 𐤄𐤋𐤊 holekhe am going the one walking am going HVqrmsa לָ/ג֖וּר 𐤋/𐤂𐤅𐤓 lagur to sojourn to sojourn as a foreigner to sojourn as a foreigner HR/Vqc בַּ/אֲשֶׁ֥ר 𐤁/𐤀𐤔𐤓 baasher wherever in that-which in that-which HR/Tr אֶמְצָֽא 𐤀𐤌𐤑𐤀 emetsa I may find I will find I will find HVqi1cs
Verse 10
And he said and he said and he said to him — to him Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah Dwell sit down dwell with me with me with me and be become and be to me — to me a father to a father of a father and a priest and to a priestly-officiant and to a priest And I and I and I will give I will give I will give to you — to you ten ten ten shekels of silver silver silver per year to the days per year and a suit and arrangement of and a suit of apparel garments garments and your living and your life-sustenance and your living And the Levite went and he went and he went the Levite the Levite the Leviyi
וַ/יֹּאמֶר֩ 𐤅/𐤉𐤀𐤌𐤓 vayomer And he said and he said and he said HC/Vqw3ms ל֨/וֹ 𐤋/𐤅 lo to him to him HR/Sp3ms מִיכָ֜ה 𐤌𐤉𐤊𐤄 mikhah Micah Who-is-like? Mikhah HNp שְׁבָ֣/ה 𐤔𐤁/𐤄 shevah Dwell sit down dwell HVqv2ms/Sh עִמָּדִ֗/י 𐤏𐤌𐤃/𐤉 imadi with me with me with me HR/Sp1cs וֶֽ/הְיֵה 𐤅/𐤄𐤉𐤄 veheyeh and be become and be HC/Vqv2ms לִ/י֮ 𐤋/𐤉 li to me to me HR/Sp1cs לְ/אָ֣ב 𐤋/𐤀𐤁 leav a father to a father of a father HR/Ncmsa וּ/לְ/כֹהֵן֒ 𐤅/𐤋/𐤊𐤄𐤍 ulekhohen and a priest and to a priestly-officiant and to a priest HC/R/Ncmsa וְ/אָנֹכִ֨י 𐤅/𐤀𐤍𐤊𐤉 veanokhi ine-neka (Bemba) And I and I and I HC/Pp1cs אֶֽתֶּן 𐤀𐤕𐤍 eten will give I will give I will give HVqi1cs לְ/ךָ֜ 𐤋/𐤊 lekha to you to you HR/Sp2ms עֲשֶׂ֤רֶת 𐤏𐤔𐤓𐤕 aseret ten ten ten HAcmsc כֶּ֨סֶף֙ 𐤊𐤎𐤐 kesef shekels of silver silver silver HNcmsa לַ/יָּמִ֔ים 𐤋/𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤌 layamim per year to the days per year HRd/Ncmpa וְ/עֵ֥רֶךְ 𐤅/𐤏𐤓𐤊 veerekhe and a suit and arrangement of and a suit HC/Ncmsc בְּגָדִ֖ים 𐤁𐤂𐤃𐤉𐤌 begadim of apparel garments garments HNcmpa וּ/מִחְיָתֶ֑/ךָ 𐤅/𐤌𐤇𐤉𐤕/𐤊 umicheyatekha and your living and your life-sustenance and your living HC/Ncfsc/Sp2ms וַ/יֵּ֖לֶךְ 𐤅/𐤉𐤋𐤊 vayelekhe And the Levite went and he went and he went HC/Vqw3ms הַ/לֵּוִֽי 𐤄/𐤋𐤅𐤉 halevi the Levite the Levite the Leviyi HTd/Ngmsa
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