Judges 17
1 Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim named Micah.
ここにエフライムの山地の人で、名をミカと呼ぶものがあった。
2 And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver which were taken from you, about which you took an oath and said in my hearing, I have given this silver to the Lord from my hand for myself, to make a pictured image and a metal image: see, I have the silver, for I took it: so now I will give it back to you. And his mother said, May the blessing of the Lord be on my son.
彼は母に言った、「あなたはかつて銀千百枚を取られたので、それをのろい、わたしにも話されましたが、その銀はわたしが持っています。わたしがそれを取ったのです」。母は言った、「どうぞ主がわが子を祝福されますように」。
3 And he gave back the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, and his mother said, I have made the silver holy to the Lord from me for my son, to make a pictured image and a metal image.
そして彼が銀千百枚を母に返したので、母は言った、「わたしはわたしの子のために一つの刻んだ像と、一つの鋳た像を造るためにその銀をわたしの手から主に献納します。それで今それをあなたに返しましょう」。
4 So he gave the silver back to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a metal-worker who made a pictured image and a metal image from them: and it was in the house of Micah.
ミカがその銀を母に返したので、母はその銀二百枚をとって、それを銀細工人に与え、一つの刻んだ像と、一つの鋳た像を造らせた。その像はミカの家にあった。
5 And the man Micah had a house of gods; and he made an ephod and family gods and put one of his sons in the position of priest.
このミカという人は神の宮をもち、エポデとテラピムを造り、その子のひとりを立てて、自分の祭司とした。
6 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did as seemed right to him.
そのころイスラエルには王がなかったので、人々はおのおの自分たちの目に正しいと思うことを行った。
7 Now there was a young man living in Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah and a Levite, who was not a townsman of the place.
さてここにユダの氏族のもので、ユダのベツレヘムからきたひとりの若者があった。彼はレビびとであって、そこに寄留していたのである。
8 And he went away from the town of Beth-lehem-judah, looking for somewhere to make his living-place; and on his journey he came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah.
この人は自分の住むべきところを尋ねて、ユダのベツレヘムの町を去り、旅してエフライムの山地のミカの家にきた。
9 And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite from Beth-lehem-judah, and I am looking for a living-place.
ミカは彼に言った、「あなたはどこからおいでになりましたか」。彼は言った、「わたしはユダのベツレヘムのレビびとですが、住むべきところを尋ねて旅をしているのです」。
10 Then Micah said to him, Make your living-place with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver a year and your clothing and food.
ミカは言った、「わたしと一緒にいて、わたしのために父とも祭司ともなってください。そうすれば年に銀十枚と衣服ひとそろいと食物とをさしあげましょう」。
11 And the Levite said he would make his living-place with the man, and he became to him as one of his sons.
レビびとはついにその人と一緒に住むことを承諾した。そしてその若者は彼の子のひとりのようになった。
12 And Micah gave the position to the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
ミカはレビびとであるこの若者を立てて自分の祭司としたので、彼はミカの家にいた。
13 Then Micah said, Now I am certain that the Lord will do me good, seeing that the Levite has become my priest.
それでミカは言った、「今わたしはレビびとを祭司に持つようになったので、主がわたしをお恵みくださることがわかりました」。
