Lectionary Calendar
Monday, December 29th, 2025
the Monday after Christmas
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Judges 17:13

"I know the Lord will bless me now," Micah said, "because I have a Levite serving as my priest."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jonathan;   Minister, Christian;   Scofield Reference Index - Apostasy;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Judges;   Micah;   Teraphim;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Bethlehem;   Judges, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bethlehem;   Israel;   Kohath, Kohathites;   Levi;   Micah, Micaiah;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Micah;   Teraphim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bethlehem;   Criticism (the Graf-Wellhausen Hypothesis);   Deuteronomy;   Ezekiel;   Israel, History of the People;   Israel, Religion of;   Jonathan (1);   Judges, Period of;   Micah (1);   Priests and Levites;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Priest;   Sacrifice;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 3;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then said Mikhah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my Kohen.
King James Version
Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
Lexham English Bible
And Micah said, "Now I know Yahweh will make me prosperous, because the Levite has become my priest."
English Standard Version
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest."
New Century Version
Then Micah said, "Now I know the Lord will be good to me, because I have a Levite as my priest."
New English Translation
Micah said, "Now I know the Lord will make me rich, because I have this Levite as my priest."
Amplified Bible
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will favor me and make me prosper because I have a Levite as my priest."
New American Standard Bible
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as a priest."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said Michah, Nowe I know that the Lord will be good vnto me, seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest.
Legacy Standard Bible
Toe sê Miga: Nou weet ek dat die HERE aan my goed sal doen, omdat ek 'n Leviet as priester het.
Contemporary English Version
Micah said, "I have a Levite as my own priest. Now I know that the Lord will be kind to me."
Complete Jewish Bible
Mikhah said, "Now I know that Adonai will treat me well, because I have a Levi for a cohen.
Darby Translation
Then said Micah, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, because I have the Levite for priest.
Easy-to-Read Version
And Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will be good to me. I know this because I have a man from the tribe of Levi to be my priest."
George Lamsa Translation
Then said Micah, Now I know that the LORD will do me good, seeing that the Levite has become my priest.
Good News Translation
Micah said, "Now that I have a Levite as my priest, I know that the Lord will make things go well for me."
Literal Translation
And Micah said, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, for the Levite is a priest to me.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Micha sayde: I am sure the LORDE wyll do me good now, that I haue a Leuite to my prest.
American Standard Version
Then said Micah, Now know I that Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
Bible in Basic English
Then Micah said, Now I am certain that the Lord will do me good, seeing that the Levite has become my priest.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde Micah: Now I am sure that the Lord will be good vnto me, seing I haue a Leuite to my prieste.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said Micah: 'Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.'
King James Version (1611)
Then said Micah, Now know I that the Lord will doe me good, seeing I haue a Leuite to my Priest.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Michaias said, Now I know that the Lord will do me good, because a Levite has become my priest.
English Revised Version
Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
Berean Standard Bible
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and seide, Now Y woot, that God schal do wel to me, hauynge a preest of the kyn of Leuy.
Young's Literal Translation
and Micah saith, `Now I have known that Jehovah doth good to me, for the Levite hath been to me for a priest.'
Update Bible Version
Then Micah said, Now I know that Yahweh will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then said Micah, Now I know that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for [my] priest.
World English Bible
Then said Micah, Now know I that Yahweh will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
New King James Version
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!"
New Life Bible
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will bring good to me because I have a Levite as my religious leader."
New Revised Standard
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then said Micah - Now, I know that Yahweh will do me good, - seeing I have a Levite as my priest.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now I know God will do me good, since I have a priest of the race of the Levites.
Revised Standard Version
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest."
THE MESSAGE
Micah said, "Now I know that God will make things go well for me—why, I've got a Levite for a priest!"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Micah said, "Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, seeing I have a Levite as priest."

Contextual Overview

7 One day a young Levite, who had been living in Bethlehem in Judah, arrived in that area. 8 He had left Bethlehem in search of another place to live, and as he traveled, he came to the hill country of Ephraim. He happened to stop at Micah's house as he was traveling through. 9 "Where are you from?" Micah asked him. He replied, "I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am looking for a place to live." 10 "Stay here with me," Micah said, "and you can be a father and priest to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, plus a change of clothes and your food." 11 The Levite agreed to this, and the young man became like one of Micah's sons. 12 So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah's house. 13 "I know the Lord will bless me now," Micah said, "because I have a Levite serving as my priest."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 14:12, Isaiah 44:20, Isaiah 66:3, Isaiah 66:4, Matthew 15:9, Matthew 15:13, John 16:2, Acts 26:9, Romans 10:2, Romans 10:3

Reciprocal: Judges 17:3 - I had wholly Judges 18:5 - of God Judges 18:24 - what have 2 Kings 17:27 - one of the priests Proverbs 30:12 - that are Isaiah 5:18 - draw Isaiah 48:2 - and stay

Cross-References

Genesis 14:14
When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them at Dan.
Genesis 15:3
You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir."
Genesis 37:27
Instead of hurting him, let's sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!" And his brothers agreed.
Genesis 37:36
Meanwhile, the Midianite traders arrived in Egypt, where they sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Potiphar was captain of the palace guard.
Genesis 39:1
When Joseph was taken to Egypt by the Ishmaelite traders, he was purchased by Potiphar, an Egyptian officer. Potiphar was captain of the guard for Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
Exodus 12:44
But any slave who has been purchased may eat it if he has been circumcised.
Exodus 21:2
"If you buy a Hebrew slave, he may serve for no more than six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom.
Exodus 21:4
"If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave and they had sons or daughters, then only the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master.
Exodus 21:16
"Kidnappers must be put to death, whether they are caught in possession of their victims or have already sold them as slaves.
Nehemiah 5:5
We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said Micah,.... Within himself, pleased with what he had done, and with what he engaged in:

now know I that the Lord will do me good; that I shall enjoy his favour, be a happy man, and prosper; and by this it appears, that notwithstanding the idolatry he had fallen into, he had not utterly forsaken the Lord, but worshipped him in and by his images; there was a mixture of the worship of God, and of the worship of images:

seeing I have a Levite to my priest; who was of the same tribe the priests were, and so the nearest to them of any, and which he thought would be acceptable to God, and an omen of good to himself.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This shows the ignorance as well as the superstition of the age (compare 2 Kings 18:22), and gives a picture of the lawlessness of the times. The incidental testimony to the Levitical priesthood is to be noted; but the idolatrous worship in the immediate neighborhood of Shiloh is passing strange.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 17:13. Now know I that the Lord will do me good — As he had already provided an epitome of the tabernacle, a model of the ark, mercy-seat, and cherubim; and had got proper sacerdotal vestments, and a Levite to officiate; he took for granted that all was right, and that he should now have the benediction of God. Some think that he expected great gain from the concourse of the people to his temple; but of this there is no evidence in the text. Micah appears to have been perfectly sincere in all that he did.

I HAVE already remarked that there is no positive evidence that Micah or his mother intended to establish any idolatrous worship. Though they acted without any Divine command in what they did; yet they appear, not only to have been perfectly sincere, but also perfectly disinterested. They put themselves to considerable expense to erect this place of worship, and to maintain, at their own proper charges, a priest to officiate there; and without this the place, in all probability, would have been destitute of the worship and knowledge of the true God. His sincerity, disinterestedness, and attachment to the worship of the God of his fathers, are farther seen in the joy which he expressed on finding a Levite who might legally officiate in his house. It is true, he had not a Divine warrant for what he did; but the state of the land, the profligacy of his countrymen, his distance from Shiloh, &c., considered, he appears to deserve more praise than blame, though of the latter he has received a most liberal share from every quarter. This proceeds from that often-noticed propensity in man to take every thing which concerns the character of another by the worst handle. It cannot be considered any particular crime, should these notes be found at any time leaning to the other side.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile