Mikas afgudsbilleder
1I Efraims højland boede der en mand ved navn Mika. 2En dag sagde han til sin mor: „Jeg hørte, hvordan du forbandede den tyv, der stjal 1100 sølvstykker fra dig. Her er de. Det var mig, der tog dem!” „Må Herren velsigne dig, fordi du sagde det, min søn,” svarede moderen. 3Så gav Mika pengene tilbage til hende.
Da sagde moderen: „De her sølvstykker vil jeg indvi til Herren. Jeg vil få lavet et afgudsbillede af dem og en støbt statuette, som du skal have, min søn.”
4Så tog hun 200 sølvstykker og gav dem til sølvsmeden, som lavede et gudebillede og en gudestatuette. Da de var færdige, blev de overdraget til Mika. 5Han fik lavet et gudehus til sine afgudsbilleder. Han lavede også nogle små husguder af træ og en efod, hvorefter han indviede en af sine sønner til at være præst. 6På den tid var der ingen konge i Israel, og folk gjorde, hvad de fandt for godt.
7-8En dag kom en ung levit til Mikas hus i Efraims højland. Han havde boet som fremmed i Betlehem i Judastammens område og var nu på udkig efter et nyt sted at slå sig ned.
9„Hvor kommer du fra?” spurgte Mika. „Jeg er levit og kommer fra Betlehem i Juda,” svarede den unge mand. „Jeg er ved at se mig om efter et nyt sted at bo.” 10„Hvis du vil blive her, kan du blive vejleder og præst hos mig,” foreslog Mika. „Jeg vil give dig ti sølvstykker om året plus tøj og kost og logi.”
11Den unge mand tog imod tilbuddet og boede derefter hos Mika, der behandlede ham som sin egen søn. 12Desuden indsatte Mika ham til at være sin personlige præst. 13„Nu er jeg sikker på, at Herren vil velsigne mig!” udbrød Mika. „For jeg har jo en rigtig levit som præst ved mit gudehus!”
1And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. 3And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. 4Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. 5And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.17.5 consecrated: Heb. filled the hand 6In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7¶ And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8And the man departed out of the city from Beth-lehem-judah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.17.8 as he…: Heb. in making his way 9And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place. 10And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.17.10 a suit…: or, a double suit, etc: Heb. an order of garments 11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons. 12And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
