Judges 17
1 A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
Ɔbarima bi tenaa Efraim bepɔ asase so a na wɔfrɛ no Mika.
2 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!”
Ɛda koro bi, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne maame sɛ, “Metee sɛ wodomee ɔkorɔmfoɔ a ɔwiaa wo nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu firii wo nkyɛn no. Ɛyɛ, ɛnie. Me ara na mefaeɛ.” Ne maame kaa sɛ, “Awurade nhyira wo sɛ woaka nokorɛ.”
3 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.”
Ɔde sika no maa no no, ne maame no kaa sɛ, “Mede saa nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu ne fa yi ma Awurade. Mɛma wɔayɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni a wɔagu de ahyɛ me babarima animuonyam.”
4 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.
Enti ne maame de nnwetɛbena ahanu kɔmaa dwetɛdwumfoɔ na ɔde yɛɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni. Na wɔde sii Mika fie.
5 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.
Mika yɛɛ asɔreeɛ na ɔyɛɛ asɔfotadeɛ ne efiefoɔ ahoni kaa ho. Ɛnna ɔhyɛɛ ne mmammarima no mu baako ɔsɔfoɔ.
6 At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
Saa ɛberɛ no na Israel nni ɔhene, enti na nnipa no yɛ deɛ wɔpɛ biara.
7 One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,
Ɛda bi, Lewini aberanteɛ bi a ɔfiri Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda
8 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.
bɛduruu saa beaeɛ hɔ wɔ Efraim asase so a ɔrepɛ baabi pa atena. Ɛbaa sɛ, ɔkɔsoɛɛ Mika fie.
9 “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.”
Mika bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛhe na wofiri?” Ɔno nso buaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Lewini a mefiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda na merepɛ baabi matena.”
10 “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
Mika ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wo ne me ntena ha, na wobɛyɛ agya ne ɔsɔfoɔ ama me. Mɛma wo nnwetɛbena gram ɔha ne dunan afe biara; mɛma wo ntadeɛ ne aduane.”
11 and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.
Lewini no penee so na ɔbɛyɛɛ sɛ Mika mmammarima no mu baako.
12 Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.
Enti, Mika hyɛɛ Lewini no ɔsɔfoɔ, na ɔtenaa Mika fie.
13 “I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.
Na Mika kaa sɛ, “Menim sɛ Awurade bɛhyira me, ɛfiri sɛ, mewɔ Lewini a ɔresom sɛ me ɔsɔfoɔ.”
