1 There was a man of the hill country of E'phraim, whose name was Micah.
2 And he said to his mother, "The eleven hundred pieces of silver which were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be my son by the LORD."
3 And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother; and his mother said, "I consecrate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore I will restore it to you."
4 So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a graven image and a molten image; and it was in the house of Micah.
5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and installed one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he sojourned there.
8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah, to live where he could find a place; and as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of E'phraim to the house of Micah.
9 And Micah said to him, "From where do you come?" And he said to him, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place."
10 And Micah said to him, "Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, and a suit of apparel, and your living."
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became to him like one of his sons.
12 And Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a 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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