Micah’s Idols
1Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim 2said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels17:2 That is, about 28 pounds or about 13 kilograms of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have that silver with me; I took it.”
Then his mother said, “The Lord bless you, my son!”
3When he returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I solemnly consecrate my silver to the Lord for my son to make an image overlaid with silver. I will give it back to you.”
4So after he returned the silver to his mother, she took two hundred shekels17:4 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who used them to make the idol. And it was put in Micah’s house.
5Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household gods and installed one of his sons as his priest. 6In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.
7A young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, who had been living within the clan of Judah, 8left that town in search of some other place to stay. On his way17:8 Or To carry on his profession he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9Micah asked him, “Where are you from?”
“I’m a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he said, “and I’m looking for a place to stay.”
10Then Micah said to him, “Live with me and be my father and priest, and I’ll give you ten shekels17:10 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams of silver a year, your clothes and your food.” 11So the Levite agreed to live with him, and the young man became like one of his sons to him. 12Then Micah installed the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house. 13And Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since this Levite has become my priest.”
Mikka n’Ebifaananyi bye Ebyole
117:1 Bal 18:2, 13Waaliwo omusajja eyabeeranga mu nsi ey’ensozi Efulayimu, erinnya lye Mikka. 217:2 Lus 2:20; 1Sa 15:13; 2Sa 2:5N’agamba nnyina nti, “Ebitundu bya ffeeza olukumi mu ekikumi17:2 ze kilo nga kkumi na ssatu ebyakubulako, n’okukolima n’okolima, nga mpulira, laba, effeeza eyo nze njirina. Nze nagitwala.”
Awo nnyina n’amugamba nti, “Mwana wange, Mukama Katonda akuwe omukisa.”
317:3 Kuv 20:4, 23; 34:17; Lv 19:4Awo bwe yakomyawo ebitundu bya ffeeza ebyo olukumi mu ekikumi, eri nnyina, nnyina n’amugamba nti, “Mpaayo effeeza eno eri Mukama Katonda, okuva mu mukono gwange ku lw’omwana wange, ekolebwemu ekifaananyi ekyole n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse, era ndimuzza gy’oli.”
417:4 Kuv 32:4; Is 17:8Awo bwe yazza effeeza, nnyina n’addira ebitundu ebikumi bibiri ebya ffeeza17:4 ze kilo nga bbiri ne desimoolo ssatu, n’abiwa omuweesi wa ffeeza, n’abikolamu ekifaananyi ekyole n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse. Ne biteekebwa mu nnyumba ya Mikka.
517:5 a Is 44:13; Ez 8:10 b Bal 8:27 c Lub 31:19; Bal 18:14 d Kbl 16:10 e Kuv 29:9; Bal 18:24Omusajja oyo Mikka yalina essabo. N’akola efodi, n’ebifaananyi ebyole n’ayawula omu ku batabani be okuba kabona we. 617:6 a Bal 18:1; 19:1; 21:25 b Ma 12:8Mu biro ebyo tewaaliwo kabaka mu Isirayiri, era buli muntu yakolanga nga bw’alaba.
717:7 Bal 19:1; Lus 1:1-2; Mi 5:2; Mat 2:1Ne wabaawo omuvubuka ow’omu kika kya Yuda nga Muleevi, eyabeeranga mu Besirekemuyuda. 8N’ava mu kibuga kya Besirekemuyuda n’atandika okunoonya gy’anaabera, n’atuuka mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu mu nnyumba ya Mikka. Wabula yali akyali ku lugendo ng’akyanoonya aw’okubeera.
9Mikka n’amubuuza nti, “Ova wa?”
Omuleevi n’amuddamu nti, “Nva mu Besirekemuyuda, era nnoonya we nnyinza okubeera.”
1017:10 Bal 18:19Mikka n’amugamba nti, “Beera nange, obeere kitange era kabona, nange ndikuwa ebitundu bya ffeeza kkumi17:10 ze gulaamu nga kikumi mu kkumi ng’empeera, era ne nkuwa n’engoye n’emmere.” Omuleevi n’abeera naye. 11Awo Omuleevi n’akkiriza okubeera n’omusajja oyo, era omuvubuka n’aba gy’ali ng’omu ku batabani be. 1217:12 Kbl 16:10Awo Mikka n’ayawula Omuleevi, era omuvubuka oyo n’abeera kabona we n’abeera mu nnyumba ya Mikka. 13Mikka n’ayogera nti, “Kaakano mmanyi nga Mukama Katonda anankoleranga ebirungi, kubanga nnina Omuleevi nga kabona wange.”
