Iikalunga yaMika
1 Mevi lyokoondundu dhaEfraim omwa li mu na omulumentu edhina lye Mika. 2 Okwa lombwele yina a ti: “Sho wa yakwa iimaliwa iisiliveli mbyoka eyovi limwe nethele limwe, owa thingi omufuthi. Ondu uvu shoka wa ningi. Tala, ngame ondi na iimaliwa mbyoka, ongame nde yi yaka.”
Yina okwa ti: “Mumwandje, Omuwa ne ku yambeke!” 3 Mika okwa galulile yina iimaliwa mbyoka, yina nokwa ti: “Opo ndi hulithe po ethingo lyokweetela omumwandje oshipwe, iisiliveli mbika otandi yi yoololele Omuwa. Otayi ka longithwa okuhonga oshimenka shoshiti sha tulwa oshisha shoshisiliveli. Onkee otandi ku galulile iisiliveli.” 4 Ihe Mika okwa gandja ishewe iimaliwa kuyina. Nguka okwa kutha iisiliveli omathele gaali e te yi gandja komukwaanga, ngoka a hongo oshimenka shoshiti e te shi kolongitha oshisiliveli. Osha tulwa nduno maandjaMika.
5 Omulumentu nguka Mika okwa li e na eha lye mwene lyelongelokalunga. Okwa hambulitha iimenka yimwe nokwa hondjitha omapepenguwo nokwa ningi omuna gwe gumwe omuyambi gwe.
6 Pethimbo ndiyaka kamwa li omukwaniilwa muIsrael; shaa ngoka okwa li kakombwiilitha.
7 Pethimbo ndyoka opwa li omugundjuka Omulevi a kala moshilando Betlehem muJuda. 8 Okwa tembuka muBetlehem, a ka tule mpoka pwo opala. Manga a li te ende, okwi itsu maandjaMika kevi lyokoondundu dhaEfraim. 9 Mika okwe mu pula: “Oto zi peni?”
Oye a yamukula: “Ngame Omulevi te zi kuBetlehem muJuda. Ote kongo ehala lyokukala.”
10 Mika okwa ti: “Kala pungame. Ninga omugandjindunge nomuyambi gwandje, nomumvo kehe otandi ke ku pa iimaliwa iisiliveli omulongo, oonguwo niikulya.” 11 Omugundjuka Omulevi okwa zimine, a kale puMika, nokwa li a fa omwana. 12 Mika okwe mu langeke muuyambi, nokwa kala maandjaMika. 13 Mika okwa ti: “Ngashingeyi sho ndi na Omulevi a ningi omuyambi gwandje, ondi shi shi kutya Omuwa otu ukitha iinima yandje ayihe nawa.”
Micah Makes Idols and Hires a Priest
1 Micah belonged to the Ephraim tribe and lived in the hill country. 2 One day he told his mother, “Do you remember those 1,100 pieces of silver that were stolen from you? I was there when you put a curse on whoever stole them. Well, I'm the one who did it.”
His mother answered, “I pray that the Lord will bless you, my son.”
3-4 Micah returned the silver to his mother, and she said, “I give this silver to the Lord, so my son can use it to make an idol.” Turning to her son, she said, “Micah, now the silver belongs to you.”
But Micah handed it back to his mother. She took 200 pieces of the silver and gave them to a silver worker, who made them into an idol. They kept the idol in Micah's house. 5 He had a shrine for worshiping God there at his home, and he had made some idols and a sacred priestly vest. Micah chose one of his own sons to be the priest for his shrine.
6 This was before kings ruled Israel, so all the Israelites did whatever they thought was right.
7-8 One day a young Levite came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. He had been staying with one of the clans of Judah in Bethlehem, but he had left Bethlehem to find a new place to live where he could be a priest.
9 “Where are you from?” Micah asked.
“I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” the man answered, “and I'm on my way to find a new place to live.”
10 Micah said, “Why don't you stay here with me? You can be my priest and tell me what God wants me to do. Every year I'll give you ten pieces of silver and one complete set of clothes, and I'll provide all your food.”
The young man went for a walk, 11-12 then he agreed to stay with Micah and be his priest. He lived in Micah's house, and Micah treated him like one of his own sons. 13 Micah said, “I have a Levite as my own priest. Now I know that the Lord will be kind to me.”
