Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 17
1 Ŋutsu aɖe nɔ Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi, eŋkɔe nye Mika.
A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 Gbe ɖeka la, Mika gblɔ na dadaa be, “Wò klosalo akpe ɖeka kple alafa si nèbe ame aɖe fi, eye nèle fi ƒom le amea dem lae nye esi. Nyee fii.” Dadaa gblɔ nɛ be, “Mawu nayra wò le ale si nèʋu eme nam la ta.”
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!”
3 Mika trɔ ga la na dadaa eye dadaa gblɔ nɛ be, “Makɔ ga la ŋu atsɔ na Aƒetɔ la ɖe tawò. Mana woawɔ aklamakpakpɛ aɖe na wò eye woafa klosalo ɖe eŋu.”
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.”
4 Dadaa tsɔ klosalo alafa eve na klosaloɖaŋuwɔla aɖe wòwɔ aklamakpakpɛ aɖe da ɖe Mika ƒe aƒe me.
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.
5 Legba la ƒe ha ƒomevi vovovowo nɔ Mika si eye wòtsɔ via ɖeka ɖo wo nunɔlae.
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.
6 Le ŋkeke mawo me la, fia aɖeke menɔ Israel o eya ta ame sia ame wɔa nu sia nu si dze eŋu.
At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
7 Ɖekakpui aɖe si nye Levitɔ la nɔ Betlehem le Yuda,
One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,
8 edzo le Betlehem be yeadi teƒe bubu aɖe anɔ. Le eƒe mɔzɔzɔ me la, eva ɖo Mika ƒe aƒe me le Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi.
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.
9 Mika biae be, “Afi ka nètso?” Amedzro la ɖo eŋu be, “Levitɔe menye metso Betlehem le Yuda, mele teƒe nyui aɖe dim manɔ.”
“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.”
10 Mika gblɔ nɛ be, “Nɔ gbɔnye eye nànye fofo kple nunɔla nam. Mana klosalo ewo wò ƒe sia ƒe hekpe ɖe wò nudodo, nuɖuɖu kple dɔƒe ŋu.” Levitɔ la lɔ̃ eye wòtsi anyi.
“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
11 Enɔ na Mika abe via ŋutsuwo dometɔ ɖeka ene.
and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.
12 Mika kɔ ɖekakpui la ŋu eye wòzu nunɔla nɛ.
Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.
13 Mika gblɔ be, “Menyae be Yehowa ayram azɔ elabena Levitɔ aɖee nye nunɔla le nye aƒe me.”
“I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.
