Bisisu 17
1 Eso afaega Ifala: ime agolo soge ganodini, dunu afae ea dio amo Maiga esalu.
There was a man named Micah who lived in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
2 Maiga da ea amema amane sia: i, “Musa: dunu afae da dima silifa fage 1,100 wamolaloba, di da amo dunuma gagabusu aligima: ne ilegei. Amo na da nabi. Be wali, di ba: ma. Na da amo muni gagusa. Amo wamolasu dunu da na.” Ea ame da amane sia: i, “Nagofe! Hina Gode da dima hahawane dogolegele hamomu da defea.”
One day he said to his mother, “I heard you curse whoever stole (1,100 pieces/28 pounds/13 kg.) of silver from your house. I am the one who took the silver, and I still have it.” His mother replied, “My son, I pray that Yahweh will bless you [for admitting that you took it].”
3 E da amo muni ea amema bu i. Ea ame da amane sia: i, “Amo gagabusu aligima: ne da na mano ema doaga: sa: besa: le, na da amo silifa Hina Godema imunu. Amoga ninia da ifa ‘gode’ hamone, silifa amoga dedebomu. Na da amo silifa dima bu iaha.”
Micah gave all the silver back to his mother. Then she said [to herself], “I will give [some of] this silver to Yahweh.” And she said to her son, “My son, I want you to make an idol and a statue [from this silver]. So I will give [some of] this silver back to you [for making these things].”
4 Amalalu, e da ea amema bu i. Ea ame da silifa fage 200 amo lale, gula hahamosu dunuma i. E da ifa amo osole dedene, ogogosu loboga hamoi ‘gode’ hamone, silifa amoga dedeboi. Ilia da amo loboga hamoi liligi Maiga ea diasu ganodini ligisi.
So when he gave all the silver to his mother, she took (200 pieces/about 5 pounds/1.6 kg.) of it to a (silversmith/man who made things from silver). With the silver that man made an idol and a statue, [and gave them to Micah]. Micah put them in his house.
5 Amo dunu Maiga da hi sia: ne gadosu diasu gagui galu. E da loboga hamoi ‘gode’ eno amola “ifode” (gobele salasu dunu ea da: i salasu) hamone, ea dunu mano afae amo gobele salasu hawa: hamoma: ne ilegei.
He had in his house a special (shrine/place for putting sacred things). He made a sacred vest and some small idols [and put them in this shrine along with the big idol and the statue]. Then Micah chose one of his sons to become his priest.
6 Amo esoga, hina bagade dunu da Isala: ili soge ganodini hame esalu. Dunu huluane da afae afae hi hanaiga fawane hamosu.
At that time, the Israeli people did not have a king. So [Micah and everyone else] did whatever they considered to be the right thing to do.
7 Amo esoha, Lifai fi ayeligi afae da Bedeleheme moilai Yuda soge ganodini esalu.
There was a young man who had been living in Bethlehem in the area where the tribe of Judah lives. He [wanted to work as a priest because he] was a member of the tribe of Levi.
8 E da Bedeleheme fisili, fimu soge hogomusa: asi. E da ahoanoba, Maiga ea diasu Ifala: ime agolo soge ganodini galu, amoga doaga: i.
So he left Bethlehem to find another place to live [and work]. He came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
9 Maiga da ema amane adole ba: i, “Di da habidili misibala: ?” E bu adole i, “Na da Lifai fi dunu. Na da Bedeleheme moilai Yuda soge ganodini amoga esalu. Na da fimu sogebi hogosa.”
Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I come from Bethlehem. I am from the tribe of Levi, and I am looking for a place to live [and work as a priest].”
10 Maiga da ema amane sia: i, “Na sigi esaloma! Di da na fidisu dunu amola gobele salasu dunu esalumu da defea. Na da dima silifa fage nabuane gala amola dia abula amola ha: i manu imunu.”
Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and you can become like a father [to counsel me], and be my priest. Each year I will give to you ten pieces of silver and some [new] clothes. And I will provide food for you.”
11 Lifai ayeligi da Maigama esaloma: ne sia: i. E da egefe agoane hamosu.
So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.
12 Maiga da ema gobele salasu hawa: hamosu ilegei amola e da Maiga ea diasu ganodini esalu.
Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.
13 Maiga da amane sia: i, “Defea! Wali Lifai dunu da na gobele salasu dunu esala. Amaiba: le, na dawa: ! Hina Gode da na hou amola na liligi huluane hahawane dogolegele hahamomu.”
Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good things for me, because I have a man from the tribe of Levi to be my priest.”
