Micah’s False Gods
1A man named Micah lived in the hill country of Ephraim. 2He said to his mother, “Someone took 28 pounds of silver from you. I heard you curse the one who took it. I have the silver with me. I’m the one who took it.”
Then his mother said, “My son, may the Lord bless you!”
3He gave the 28 pounds of silver back to his mother. She said to him, “I’m making a promise to set apart my silver to the Lord. My son, I want you to use it to cover a statue of a god made out of wood or stone. That’s why I’ll give the silver back to you.”
4Micah gave the silver back to his mother. Then she gave five pounds of it to a skilled worker who made things out of silver. He used the silver for the statue. The statue was put in Micah’s house.
5That same Micah had a small temple. He made a sacred linen apron and some statues of his family gods. He appointed one of his sons to serve as his priest. 6In those days Israel didn’t have a king. The people did anything they thought was right.
7A young Levite had been living in land that belonged to the tribe of Judah. He was from Bethlehem in Judah. 8He left that town to look for some other place to stay. On his way he came to Micah’s house. It was in the hill country of Ephraim.
9Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
“I’m a Levite,” he said. “I’m from Bethlehem in Judah. I’m looking for a place to stay.”
10Then Micah said to him, “Live with me. Be my father and priest. I’ll give you four ounces of silver a year. I’ll also give you clothes and food.” 11So the Levite agreed to live with him. The young man became just like one of Micah’s sons to him. 12Then Micah appointed the Levite to serve as his priest. He lived in Micah’s house. 13Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me. This Levite has become my priest.”
Mika Ahoni
1Ɔbarima bi tenaa Efraim bepɔ asase so a na wɔfrɛ no Mika. 2Ɛda koro bi, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne maame sɛ, “Metee sɛ wodomee ɔkorɔmfoɔ a ɔwiaa wo nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu firii wo nkyɛn no. Ɛyɛ, ɛnie. Me ara na mefaeɛ.”
Ne maame kaa sɛ, “Awurade nhyira wo sɛ woaka nokorɛ.” 3Ɔde sika no maa no no, ne maame no kaa sɛ, “Mede saa nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu ne fa yi ma Awurade. Mɛma wɔayɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni a wɔagu de ahyɛ me babarima animuonyam.”
4Enti ne maame de nnwetɛbena ahanu kɔmaa dwetɛdwumfoɔ na ɔde yɛɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni. Na wɔde sii Mika fie. 5Mika yɛɛ asɔreeɛ na ɔyɛɛ asɔfotadeɛ ne efiefoɔ ahoni kaa ho. Ɛnna ɔhyɛɛ ne mmammarima no mu baako ɔsɔfoɔ. 6Saa ɛberɛ no na Israel nni ɔhene, enti na nnipa no yɛ deɛ wɔpɛ biara.
7Ɛda bi, Lewini aberanteɛ bi a ɔfiri Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda 8bɛduruu saa beaeɛ hɔ wɔ Efraim asase so a ɔrepɛ baabi pa atena. Ɛbaa sɛ, ɔkɔsoɛɛ Mika fie. 9Mika bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛhe na wofiri?”
Ɔno nso buaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Lewini a mefiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda na merepɛ baabi matena.”
10Mika ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wo ne me ntena ha, na wobɛyɛ agya ne ɔsɔfoɔ ama me. Mɛma wo nnwetɛbena gram ɔha ne dunan (114) afe biara; mɛma wo ntadeɛ ne aduane.” 11Lewini no penee so na ɔbɛyɛɛ sɛ Mika mmammarima no mu baako. 12Enti, Mika hyɛɛ Lewini no ɔsɔfoɔ, na ɔtenaa Mika fie. 13Na Mika kaa sɛ, “Menim sɛ Awurade bɛhyira me, ɛfiri sɛ, mewɔ Lewini a ɔresom sɛ me ɔsɔfoɔ.”
