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Judges 17:8
ESV And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah.
NIV left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
NASB Then the man left the city, Bethlehem in Judah, to stay wherever he would find a place; and as he made his journey, he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah.
CSB The man left the town of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. On his way he came to Micah’s home in the hill country of Ephraim.
NLT 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.
KJV And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
NKJV The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

What does Judges 17:8 mean?

A young man living in Bethlehem in Judah decides to leave there, seeking a new place to settle. He is of the tribe of Levi (Judges 17:7). No reason for this change is given. Levites did not have their own territory (Numbers 1:49–53) and those not actively serving in the temple or some other designated position were allowed to live either in one of the designated Levite cities throughout Israel or to settle where the Lord led them (Deuteronomy 18:6–8).

Only in the following chapter will this young man be identified as Jonathan, a grandson of Moses (Judges 18:30). For now, his search for a place to settle brings him to the hill country of Ephraim and to the house of Micah (Judges 17:1–5). This was the man introduced in the prior passage, who developed his own customized set of idols and religious icons in his home. Micah will be enthusiastic over the Levite's arrival.
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