Lokcaekkung 17
1 Ephraim mae nuiah kaom kami maeto oh; anih ih ahmin loe Mikah.
There was a man named Micah who lived in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
2 Anih mah nangmah ih amno khaeah, Na tangoeng thuih ih phoisa, nang khae hoi ka lak ih phoisa shekel sang hatlaito loe, kai khaeah oh, kai mah ni ka lak, tiah a naa. To naah amno mah, Ka capa, Angraeng mah tahamhoihaih na paek nasoe, tiah a naa.
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 Mikah mah amno hanah phoisa shekel sang hatlaito paek let naah, amno mah anih khaeah, Ka capa paek hanah, hae phoisa hae Angraeng khaeah ka tathlang boeh; to phoisa hoiah daengh ih krang hoi atui pakaw ih krang to sak hanah kang paek let han, tiah a naa.
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 Toe Mikah mah to phoisa to amno hanah paek let; amno mah phoisa shekel cumvai hnetto lak moe, sum daengh kop kami khaeah paek; anih mah phoisa hoiah daengh ih krang hoi atui pakaw ih krang to a sak pae; to krangnawk loe Mikah im ah oh.
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 Mikah loe sithawnawk bokhaih im to tawnh; anih mah kahni maeto hoi teraphim krang to sak moe, a capa maeto angmah ih qaima ah a suek.
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 To nathuem ah Israel kaminawk loe siangpahrang tawn o ai; toe kami boih mah angmacae mikhnuk ah hoih, tiah poek o ih baktih toengah hmuen to a sak o.
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 Judah prae Bethlehem vangpui ah kaom, Judah acaeng hoi nawnto kaom Levi thendoeng maeto loe to ah caeh.
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 To thendoeng loe a ohhaih ahmuen pakrong hanah, Judah prae Bethlehem vangpui to tacawt taak: anih kholong caeh naah Ephraim mae ah kaom Mikah im to phak.
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 Mikah mah anih khaeah, Nang loe naa ih kami maw? tiah a naa. Anih mah Mikah khaeah, Kai loe Judah prae Bethlehem vangpui ih Levi kami maeto ah ka oh, ohhaih hmuen to ka pakrong, tiah a naa.
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 To naah Mikah mah anih khaeah, Kai khaeah omh loe, kam pa hoi kai ih qaima ah om ah; saningto naah phoisa shekel hato, khukbuen hoi caaknaeknawk kang paek han, tiah a naa. To pongah Levi loe athung ah akunh.
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 Levi loe anih hoi nawnto oh hanah palungdue; anih mah to thendoeng to a capa maeto baktiah poek.
So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.
12 Mikah mah Levi to tathlang moe, thendoeng to angmah im ah qaima ah ohsak.
Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.
13 Mikah mah Levi loe vaihi kai ih qaima ah oh boeh pongah, Angraeng mah ka nuiah kahoih hmuen na sah pae tih boeh, tiah ka panoek, tiah thuih.
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.”
