< Judges 17 >
1 And there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
厄弗辣因山地有一個人,名叫米加,
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.
他對自己的母親說:「有人拿去你那一千一百銀錢,對這事你曾起過誓,我也親自聽見你說:我要親手把這項銀錢奉獻給上主,為我兒做一尊神像。看,銀錢在這裏,是握拿了;如今還給你! 」
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.
他的母親就說:「願我兒蒙上主祝福! 」於是米加就把一千一百銀錢還給他的母親。
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.
當他把銀錢還給他的母親以後,她的母親便拿出兩百銀子給了銀匠,請他製造一尊神像,安放在米加的家裏。
5 And the man Micah had an house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
於是米加為這尊神像蓋了一座神廟。又做了「厄弗得」和「忒辣芬,」委派自己的一個兒子充任司祭。
6 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
當時在以色列沒有君王,各人任意行事。米加收肋未為司祭
7 And there was a young man out of Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
當時有一個少年,他是個肋未人,從猷大白冷,即從猷大支派來到那裏作客。
8 And the man departed out of the city, out of Beth-lehem-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.
這人離開猷大白冷,想找一個可寄居的地方;當他旅行的時候,來到厄弗辣因山地,米加的家旁,
9 And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Beth-lehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find [a place].
米加問他說:「你從那裏來﹖」他回答說:「我是個肋未人,由猷大白冷來,想找一個可寄居的地方。」
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.
米加就對他說:「你住在我這裏罷! 作我的師傅和司祭,我每年給你十塊銀錢,還照管你的吃穿。」米加挽留那肋未人,
11 And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.
他遂同意住在米加那裏,他看待這少年好似自己的兒子。
12 And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
米加又委任了這肋未人,這人遂作了他的司祭,住在米加家中。
13 Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.
於是米加說:「如今我知道上主必施恩於我,因為有位肋未人作了我的司祭。」