⁵ Now this man Micah had a shrine,^(A) and he made an ephod^(B) and some household gods^(C) and installed^(D) one of his sons as his priest.^{(E) 6} In those days Israel had no king;^(F) everyone did as they saw fit.^(G)

⁷ A young Levite^(H) from Bethlehem in Judah,^(I) who had been living within the clan of Judah, ⁸ left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way^[a] 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,^(J)” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”

¹⁰ Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father^(K) and priest,^(L) and I’ll give you ten shekels^[b] 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^(M) the Levite, and the young man became his priest^(N) 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.”^(O)

³¹ Jeroboam built shrines^(A) on high places and appointed priests^(B) from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.

³³ Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways,^(A) but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts^(B) of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places.