< Judges 17 >

1 Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
Palikuwa na mtu aliyeitwa Mika ambaye aliishi katika vilima vya Efraimu.
2 And he said unto his mother: 'The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou didst utter a curse, and didst also speak it in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.' And his mother said: 'Blessed be my son of the LORD.'
Akamwambia mama yake, “Zile shekeli 1,100 za fedha zilizochukuliwa kwako, ambazo nilisikia ukizinenea maneno ya laana, hizi hapa; mimi ndiye niliyezichukua, lakini sasa ninakurudishia.” Ndipo mama yake akamwambia, “Bwana na akubariki, mwanangu.”
3 And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said: 'I verily dedicate the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore I will restore it unto thee.'
Alipozirudisha zile shekeli 1,100 za fedha kwa mama yake, mama yake akamwambia, “Mimi nimeiweka fedha hii wakfu kwa Bwana kwa ajili ya mwanangu kutengenezea kinyago cha kuchonga na sanamu ya kusubu. Mimi nitakurudishia wewe.”
4 And when he restored the money unto his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image; and it was in the house of Micah.
Hivyo akamrudishia mama yake ile fedha, naye mama yake akachukua shekeli mia mbili za hiyo fedha na kumpa mfua fedha, ambaye aliifanyiza kinyago na sanamu. Navyo vikawekwa ndani ya nyumba ya Mika.
5 And the man Micah had a house of God, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
Basi Mika alikuwa na mahali pa kuabudia miungu, akatengeneza naivera, pamoja na vinyago, na kumweka mmoja wa wanawe kuwa kuhani wake.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Katika siku hizo Israeli hawakuwa na mfalme, kila mmoja akafanya kama alivyoona vyema machoni pake mwenyewe.
7 And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem in Judah — in the family of Judah — who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
Basi palikuwa na kijana mmoja wa Bethlehemu ya Yuda. Yeye alikuwa Mlawi aliyeishi miongoni mwa kabila la Yuda.
8 And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem in Judah, to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
Huyu kijana akatoka katika mji huo wa Bethlehemu ya Yuda na kutafuta mahali pengine ambapo angeweza kuishi. Alipokuwa akisafiri, akafika nyumbani kwa Mika katika vilima vya Efraimu.
9 And Micah said unto him: 'Whence comest thou?' And he said unto him: 'I am a Levite of Beth-lehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.'
Mika akamuuliza, “Wewe umetoka wapi?” Akamjibu, “Mimi ni Mlawi kutoka Bethlehemu ya Yuda, ninatafuta mahali pa kuishi.”
10 And Micah said unto him: 'Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals.' So the Levite went in.
Ndipo Mika akamwambia, “Ishi pamoja nami, uwe baba yangu na kuhani wangu, nami nitakupa shekeli kumi za fedha, nguo na chakula.”
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
Hivyo yule Mlawi akakubali kuishi pamoja naye, naye huyo kijana akawa kwake kama mmoja wa wanawe.
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
Hivyo Mika akamweka wakfu huyo kijana Mlawi, naye huyo akawa kuhani wake na kuishi nyumbani mwake.
13 Then said Micah: 'Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest.'
Ndipo Mika akasema, “Sasa najua Bwana atanitendea mema, kwa kuwa Mlawi huyu amekuwa kuhani wangu.”

< Judges 17 >