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.”
Sanamu Za Mika
117:1 Amu 18:2, 13Palikuwa na mtu aliyeitwa Mika ambaye aliishi katika vilima vya Efraimu. 217:2 Rut 2:20; 3:10; 1Sam 15:13; 23:21; 2Sam 2:5Akamwambia mama yake, “Zile shekeli 1,10017:2 Shekeli 1,100 za fedha ni sawa na kilo 13 za fedha. za fedha zilizochukuliwa kwako, ambazo nilisikia ukizinenea maneno ya laana, hizi hapa; mimi ndiye niliyezichukua, lakini sasa ninakurudishia.”
Ndipo mama yake akamwambia, “Bwana na akubariki, mwanangu.”
317:3 Kut 34:17; Law 19:4; Kut 20:4Alipozirudisha zile shekeli 1,100 za fedha kwa mama yake, mama yake akamwambia, “Mimi nimeiweka fedha hii wakfu kwa Bwana kwa ajili ya mwanangu kutengenezea kinyago cha kuchonga na sanamu ya kusubu. Mimi nitakurudishia wewe.”
417:4 Kut 32:4; Isa 17:8Hivyo akamrudishia mama yake ile fedha, naye mama yake akachukua shekeli mia mbili17:4 Shekeli 200 za fedha ni sawa na kilo 2.3 za fedha. za hiyo fedha na kumpa mfua fedha, ambaye aliifanyiza kinyago na sanamu. Navyo vikawekwa ndani ya nyumba ya Mika.
517:5 Isa 44:13; Eze 8:10; Amu 8:27; Mwa 31:19; Hes 16:10; Kut 29:9; Amu 18:24Basi Mika alikuwa na mahali pa kuabudia miungu, akatengeneza naivera, pamoja na vinyago, na kumweka mmoja wa wanawe kuwa kuhani wake. 617:6 Amu 18:1; 19:1; 21:25; Kum 12:8Katika siku hizo Israeli hawakuwa na mfalme, kila mmoja akafanya kama alivyoona vyema machoni pake mwenyewe.
717:7 Amu 18:3; Mwa 35:19; Mik 5:2; Mt 2:1Basi palikuwa na kijana mmoja wa Bethlehemu ya Yuda. Yeye alikuwa Mlawi aliyeishi miongoni mwa kabila la Yuda. 8Huyu kijana akatoka katika mji huo wa Bethlehemu ya Yuda na kutafuta mahali pengine ambapo angeweza kuishi. Alipokuwa akisafiri, akafika nyumbani kwa Mika katika vilima vya Efraimu.
9Mika akamuuliza, “Wewe umetoka wapi?”
Akamjibu, “Mimi ni Mlawi kutoka Bethlehemu ya Yuda, ninatafuta mahali pa kuishi.”
1017:10 Mwa 45:8; Amu 18:19Ndipo Mika akamwambia, “Ishi pamoja nami, uwe baba yangu na kuhani wangu, nami nitakupa shekeli kumi17:10 Shekeli 10 za fedha ni sawa na gramu 115 za fedha. za fedha, nguo na chakula.” 11Hivyo yule Mlawi akakubali kuishi pamoja naye, naye huyo kijana akawa kwake kama mmoja wa wanawe. 1217:12 Hes 16:10; Amu 18:4Hivyo Mika akamweka wakfu huyo kijana Mlawi, naye huyo akawa kuhani wake na kuishi nyumbani mwake. 1317:13 Hes 18:7Ndipo Mika akasema, “Sasa najua Bwana atanitendea mema, kwa kuwa Mlawi huyu amekuwa kuhani wangu.”
