< Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 17 >

1 Ŋutsu aɖe nɔ Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi, eŋkɔe nye Mika.
There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Micah.
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.”
He said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you spoke a curse, and which I heard—look here! I have the silver with me. I stole it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless you, my son!”
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 restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother and his mother said, “I set apart this silver to Yahweh, for my son to make carved and cast metal figures. So now, I restore it to you.”
4 Dadaa tsɔ klosalo alafa eve na klosaloɖaŋuwɔla aɖe wòwɔ aklamakpakpɛ aɖe da ɖe Mika ƒe aƒe me.
When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to a metal worker who made them into carved and cast metal figures, and they were placed in the house of Micah.
5 Legba la ƒe ha ƒomevi vovovowo nɔ Mika si eye wòtsɔ via ɖeka ɖo wo nunɔlae.
The man Micah had a house of idols and he made an ephod and household gods, and he hired one of his sons to become 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.
In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Ɖekakpui aɖe si nye Levitɔ la nɔ Betlehem le Yuda,
Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah, who was a Levite. He stayed there to fulfill his duties.
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.
The man left Bethlehem in Judah to go and find a place to live. As he journeyed, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 Mika biae be, “Afi ka nètso?” Amedzro la ɖo eŋu be, “Levitɔe menye metso Betlehem le Yuda, mele teƒe nyui aɖe dim manɔ.”
Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” The man said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am traveling to find a place where I might 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.
Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went into his house.
11 Enɔ na Mika abe via ŋutsuwo dometɔ ɖeka ene.
The Levite was content to live with the man, and the young man became to Micah like one of his sons.
12 Mika kɔ ɖekakpui la ŋu eye wòzu nunɔla nɛ.
Micah set apart the Levite for sacred duties, and the young man became his priest, and was in Micah's house.
13 Mika gblɔ be, “Menyae be Yehowa ayram azɔ elabena Levitɔ aɖee nye nunɔla le nye aƒe me.”
Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good for me, because this Levite has become my priest.”

< Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 17 >