Micah's Idols
1 There was once a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He told his mother, “When someone stole those eleven hundred pieces of silver from you, you put a curse on the robber. I heard you do it. Look, I have the money. I am the one who took it.”
His mother said, “May the Lord bless you, my son!” 3 He gave the money back to his mother, and she said, “To keep the curse from falling on my son, I myself am solemnly dedicating the silver to the Lord. It will be used to make a wooden idol covered with silver. So now I will give the pieces of silver back to you.” 4 Then he gave them back to his mother. She took two hundred of the pieces of silver and gave them to a metalworker, who made an idol, carving it from wood and covering it with the silver. It was placed in Micah's house.
5 This man Micah had his own place of worship. He made some idols and an ephod, and appointed one of his sons as his priest. 6 There was no king in Israel at that time; everyone did whatever they wanted.
7 At that same time there was a young Levite who had been living in the town of Bethlehem in Judah. 8 He left Bethlehem to find another place to live. While he was traveling, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, “Where do you come from?”
He answered, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a place to live.”
10 Micah said, “Stay with me. Be my adviser and priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, some clothes, and your food.” 11 The young Levite agreed to stay with Micah and became like a son to him. 12 Micah appointed him as his priest, and he lived in Micah's home. 13 Micah said, “Now that I have a Levite as my priest, I know that the Lord will make things go well for me.”
Ovisenginina vya Mika
1 Mehi rozondundu ra Efraim mwa turire omurumendu ngwa ri nena Mika. 2 Neye wa tja ku ina: “Ovimariva ovisilveri 1 100 mbya vakwa pove, nu mbi wa tjitira po osengiro, ndji mba zuva omuini, ovyo mbi vi na ami; owami omuini ngu mbe vi toora.”
Nu ina wa zira a tja: “Ngo serwe ondaya i Muhona, muatje wandje.” 3 Mika wa yarura ovimariva mbi ovisilveri 1 100 ku ina. Nu ina wa tja ku ye: “Ami me yapurire Muhona ovisilveri mbi kutja mbi tjurure osengiro komuatje wandje. Ovyo mavi sokuungurisiwa okutunga otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina tji tja hongwa nu ku kwa tuwa osilveri. Nambano ovimariva ovisilveri mbi me vi kotora kove.” 4 Mika wa yarura ovimariva mbi ku ina. Nu ina wa toora ovimariva ovisilveri omasere yevari ne vi yandja komuhambure. Omuhambure ngwi wa ungura po otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina tji tja hongwa nu ku kwa tuwa osilveri; notjo tja kazikwa mondjuwo ya Mika.
5 Komuhingo mbwi Mika otja ri nondjuwo ye omuini yomerikotameneno kovisenginina. Eye wa ungura ombanda yokoviṱuve noviserekarera tjiva vyomukuru wotjisenginina, na ziki omuzandu we umwe a rire omupristeri we. 6 Momayuva ngo kamwa ri ombara mOisrael, nu auhe aa tjiti otja kombango ye.
7 Nu oruveze tjingero ndo pa ri omurumendu omutanda ngwa turire mObetlehem mehi ra Juda, ngwa zire momuhoko wa Juda. Eye wa ri Omulevi ngwa turire mo otja owozonganda. 8 Omurumendu ngwi wa tjinda okuza mObetlehem mehi ra Juda okukapaha poṋa puma munu omaturiro. Nu mouyenda we mbwi eye weya kehi rozondundu ra Efraim nga pondjuwo ya Mika. 9 Mika we mu pura a tja: “Ove mo zu pi?”
Neye we mu zira nai: “Owami Omulevi, me zu kObetlehem kehi ra Juda. Mbi ri mouyenda wokupaha pu me munu omaturiro!”
10 Nu Mika wa tja ku ye: “Kara puna ami mba, nu u rire tate omuyandjandunge nomupristeri ku ami; ombura aihe me ku pe ovisilveri omurongo, nozombanda novikurya.” 11 NOmulevi omutanda ngwi wa itavera okukara mondjuwo ya Mika; neye wa kara otja omuatje we. 12 Nu Mika wa zika Omulevi ngwi a rire omupristeri we, neye wa tura monganda ya Mika. 13 Mika wa tja nai: “Nambano me tjiwa kutja Muhona me ndji ṋingaparisa, tjinga ambi nOmulevi ngwi okurira omupristeri wandje.”
