Dommer 17
1 I Efraims Bjerge levede en Mand, som hed Mika.
There was a man named Micah who lived in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
2 Han sagde til sin Moder: »De 1100 Sekel Sølv, du har mistet, og for hvis Skyld du udtalte en Forbandelse, som jeg selv hørte, se, de Penge er hos mig; jeg har taget dem, men nu vil jeg give dig dem tilbage.« Da sagde hans Moder: »HERREN velsigne dig, min Søn!«
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 Saa gav han sin Moder de 1100 Sekel Sølv tilbage; og Moderen sagde: »Disse Penge helliger jeg HERREN og giver min Søn, for at han kan lave et udskaaret og støbt Billede.«
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 Saa gav han sin Moder Pengene tilbage; og Moderen tog 200 Sekel Sølv deraf og gav dem til Guldsmeden, som lavede et udskaaret og støbt Billede deraf, og det fik sin Plads i Mikas Hus.
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 Manden Mika havde et Gudshus, og han lavede sig en Efod og en Husgud og indsatte en af sine Sønner til sin Præst.
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 I de Dage var der ingen Konge i Israel; enhver gjorde, hvad han fandt for godt.
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 Nu var der i Betlehem i Juda en ung Mand af Judas Slægt; han var Levit og boede der som fremmed.
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 Denne Mand forlod sin By Betlehem i Juda for at slaa sig ned som fremmed, hvor det kunde træffe sig, og paa sin Vandring kom han til Mikas Hus i Efraims Bjerge.
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 Da spurgte Mika ham: »Hvorfra kommer du?« Han svarede: »Jeg er Levit og har hjemme i Betlehem i Juda, og jeg er paa Vandring for at slaa mig ned som fremmed, hvor det kan træffe sig.«
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 Da sagde Mika til ham: »Tag Ophold hos mig og bliv min Fader og Præst; jeg vil give dig ti Sekel Sølv om Aaret og holde dig med Klæder og give dig Kosten!«
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 Saa gik Leviten ind paa at tage Ophold hos Manden, og den unge Mand var ham som en af hans egne Sønner.
So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.
12 Mika indsatte saa Leviten, og den unge Mand blev Præst hos ham og tog Ophold i Mikas Hus.
Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.
13 Da sagde Mika: »Nu ved jeg, at HERREN vil gøre vel imod mig, siden jeg har faaet en Levit til Præst!«
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.”
