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.”
Ongulu yaMika yokulongela Kalunga
1 Keemhunda daEfraim kwa li omulumenhu edina laye Mika. 2 Ye okwa lombwela ina ta ti: Eesekeli dinya eyovi nefele doshisiliveli we di kufwa, nomolwado ove wa tongele etulomutima momatwi ange, oimaliwa oi li pwaame. Ame nde i kufa. Opo nee ina ta ti: Omwene ne ku nangeke noupuna, omumwange! 3 Ndele ye okwa alulila ina eesekeli eyovi nefele doshisiliveli. Ndelenee ina ta ti: Oimaliwa oyo yomeke lange ame ohandi i yapulile Omwene, omumwange e i longife okuninga oshihongwafano noshitelekwafano. Paife eshi ame ohandi i ku alulile. 4 Ye eshi a alulila ina oimaliwa, ina okwa kufa eesekeli omafele avali doshisiliveli ndele te di pe omuhambwidi woshingoldo. Ndele ye okwe di ninga oshihongwafano noshitelekwafano, oyo oya li meumbo laMika.
5 Omulumenhu winya Mika okwa li e nongulu yaKalunga nokwa ninga oshikutu shokomapepe noikalunga yomeumbo nokwa tula po omona waye umwe omulumenhu a kale omupristeli waye. 6 Momafiku enya muIsrael kamwa li ohamba: keshe umwe a ninga eshi sha wapala momesho aye. 7 Ndele muBetlehem shomuJuda mwa li omulumenhu omunyasha womepata laJuda. Ye okwa li Omulevi, ou a kala ko ngaashi omunailongo. 8 Nomulumenhu winya okwa dja moshilando shaBetlehem shomuJuda, a kale keshe apa ta mono onhele. Mokweenda kwaye okwa fika keemhunda daEfraim fiyo okeumbo laMika. 9 Ndele Mika te mu pula: Oto di peni? Opo nee ye ta ti kuye: Ame Omulevi womuBetlehem shomuJuda, ndele handi ende nokukonga onhele apa handi dulu okukala. 10 Ndele Mika ta ti kuye: Kala pwaame, u ninge tate nomupristeli wange. Opo nee handi ku pe omudo keshe eesekeli omulongo doshisiliveli noikutu neendja. NOmulevi okwa ya puye. 11 NOmulevi okwa itavela okukala pomulumenhu ou. Nomulumenhu ou omunyasha okwa li ngaashi umwe womovana vaye ovamati. 12 Ndele Mika okwa tula Omulevi moshilonga, opo omulumenhu omunyasha a ninga omupristeli waye, nokwa kala meumbo laMika. 13 Opo nee Mika ta ti: Paife ndi shi shii nokutya, Omwene ta ka ningila nge nawa, osheshi ndi nOmulevi omupristeli.
