Dommer 17
1 Og der var en Mand fra Efraims Bjerg, og hans Navn var Mika.
A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 Og han sagde til sin Moder: De tusinde og hundrede Sekel Sølv, som ere tagne fra dig, og om hvilke du har udtalt en Forbandelse og sagt det endog i mit Paahør, se, det Sølv er hos mig, jeg har taget det; da sagde hans Moder: Velsignet være du, min Søn, for Herren!
told his mother, “Those eleven hundred shekels of silver that were stolen from you and that I heard you curse—I've got the silver. I was the one who took it.” Then his mother said, “My son, the Lord bless you!”
3 Saa gav han sin Moder de tusinde og hundrede Sekel Sølv tilbage; og hans Moder sagde: Jeg har helliget Herren det Sølv fra min Haand for min Søn til at gøre et udskaaret og støbt Billede, derfor giver jeg dig det nu tilbage.
He gave back to his mother the eleven hundred shekels of silver. His mother announced, “I'm completely dedicating this money to the Lord. I'm handing it over to my son to have an idol carved, an image made with molten silver. So now I return it to you.”
4 Men han gav sin Moder Sølvet tilbage; da tog hans Moder to Hundrede Sekel Sølv og gav Guldsmeden det, og han gjorde et udskaaret og støbt Billede deraf, og det var i Mikas Hus.
After he'd returned the silver to his mother she gave two hundred shekels to a silversmith who made it into a carved idol, an image made with molten silver. They were kept in Micah's house.
5 Og den Mand Mika havde et Guds Hus, og han gjorde en Livkjortel og Husguder og fyldte een af sine Sønners Haand, at han blev hans Præst.
Micah had built a shrine for the idol. He also made an ephod and some household gods, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.
6 I de samme Dage var ingen Konge i Israel; hver gjorde, hvad ret var for hans Øjne.
At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
7 Og der var en ung Karl fra Bethlehem i Juda, af Judas Slægt; men han var en Levit, og han var fremmed der.
One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,
8 Men denne Mand gik fra Staden Bethlehem i Juda for at opholde sig, hvor han fandt Lejlighed; og han kom paa Efraims Bjerg til Mikas Hus for at fortsætte sin Vej.
left Bethlehem to look for a different place to live. As he traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, he came to Micah's house.
9 Da sagde Mika til ham: Hvorfra kommer du? og han sagde til ham: Jeg er en Levit fra Bethlehem i Juda, og jeg gaar hen for at opholde mig, hvor jeg finder en Lejlighed.
“Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I'm a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” the man replied. “I'm looking for a place to live.”
10 Da sagde Mika til ham: Bliv hos mig, og bliv min Fader og Præst, saa vil jeg hvert Aar give dig ti Sekel Sølv og behørige Klæder og din Føde; og Leviten gik ind.
“Come and stay here with me. You can be my ‘father’ and priest, and I'll give you ten shekels of silver a year, plus your clothes and food.” So the Levite went inside
11 Og Leviten samtykkede i at blive hos Manden; og den unge Karl var ham som en af hans Sønner.
and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.
12 Og Mika fyldte Levitens Haand, og den unge Karl blev hans Præst; og han var i Mikas Hus.
Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.
13 Og Mika sagde: Nu ved jeg, at Herren skal gøre vel imod mig, efterdi jeg har en Levit til Præst.
“I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.
