1 In the highlands of Ephraim there was a man called Micayehu.
2 He said to his mother, 'The eleven hundred silver shekels which were taken from you and concerning which you uttered a curse, having said in my hearing . . . Look, I have got that silver. I was the one who took it.' His mother said, 'May Yahweh bless my boy!'
3 He gave the eleven hundred shekels back to his mother, who said, 'I have indeed vowed to give this silver to Yahweh for my son, to have a statue carved and an idol cast in metal, but now I should like to give it back to you.' He, however, returned the money to his mother.
4 His mother then took two hundred silver shekels and gave them to the metalworker. With them, he carved a statue (and cast an idol in metal) which was put in Micayehu's house.
5 This man Micah owned a shrine; he made an ephod and some domestic images, and installed one of his sons to be his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did as he saw fit.
7 There was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah, who was a Levite and resided there as a stranger.
8 This man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to settle wherever he could find a home. On his travels he came to the highlands of Ephraim and to Micah's house.
9 Micah asked him, 'Where do you come from?' The other replied, 'I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am travelling, and am going to settle wherever I can find a home.'
10 Micah said to him, 'Stay here with me; be my father and priest and I shall give you ten silver shekels a year, and clothing and food.'
11 The Levite agreed to remain in the man's house, and the young man became like one of his sons to him.
12 Micah installed the Levite; the young man became Micah's priest and stayed in his house.
13 And Micah said, 'Now I know that Yahweh will treat me well, since I have this Levite as priest.'
Versículos relacionados com Judges, 17:
Judges chapter 17 relates the story of a man named Mica who made himself an idol and a house of gods. He also hired a Levite to be his private priest. This story illustrates the lack of spiritual leadership at the time of the judges, when each one did what he thought is right in his own eyes.
Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way that man seems right, but by hand on the ways of death." This verse warns of the illusion of following our own wishes and desires, which can lead to disastrous consequences.
Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust the Lord of all your heart, and do not stir in your own understanding. Recognizes him in all your ways, and he will straighten your paths." This verse emphasizes the importance of trusting God and seeking His will in our lives rather than following our own ways.
Jeremiah 10:14: "Every man is stupid, without knowledge; all goldsmith is embarrassed by the carved image; for his images are false, and in them there is no spirit." This verse condemns the worship of idols and emphasizes the importance of recognizing the true nature of God.
Acts 17:24-25: "The God who has made the world and all that there is, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by men; nor is it served by human hands, as if from any Thing needed; for he himself is the one who gives everyone life, breathing and everything; " This verse highlights God's transcendent nature and the uselessness of trying to limit it to physical objects or places.
Psalm 81:9: "Thou shalt not have other gods before me. Thou shalt not make the image of sculpture to thee, nor any resemblance of what is above in heaven, nor under the earth, nor in the waters under the earth." This verse is a reminder of the prohibition of the worship of idols and the importance of placing God first in our lives.
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