Atiirĩrĩri 17
1 Na rĩrĩ, mũndũ wetagwo Mika wa kuuma bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu
A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 akĩĩra nyina atĩrĩ, “Cekeri ngiri ĩmwe na igana rĩmwe cia betha iria cioirwo kuuma kũrĩ we, na iria ndaiguire ũkĩrumanĩra kĩrumi-rĩ, nĩ niĩ ndĩ nacio; nĩ niĩ ndacioire.” Nake nyina akiuga atĩrĩ, “Mũrũ wakwa, Jehova arokũrathima.”
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 Rĩrĩa aacookirie cekeri icio ngiri ĩmwe na igana rĩmwe cia betha kũrĩ nyina-rĩ, nyina akiuga atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩndamũrĩra Jehova betha yakwa kũna nĩgeetha mũrũ wakwa athondeke mũhianano mũicũhie na mũhianano wa gũtwekio. Nĩngũgũcookeria.”
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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩcookia betha ĩyo kũrĩ nyina, nake nyina akĩoya cekeri magana meerĩ cia betha na agĩcineana kũrĩ mũturi wa betha, ũrĩa wacithondekire mũhianano wa gwacũhio na mũhianano wa gũtwekio. Nayo ikĩigwo thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya Mika.
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 Na rĩrĩ, mũndũ ũcio wetagwo Mika nĩ aarĩ na ihooero, nake agĩthondeka ebodi, na mĩhianano ĩmwe ya gũtwekio na agĩtua mũriũ ũmwe wake mũthĩnjĩri-ngai wake.
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 Matukũ-inĩ macio Isiraeli gũtiarĩ mũthamaki; o mũndũ ekaga ũrĩa oonaga kwagĩrĩire.
At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
7 Mũlawii ũmwe mwanake kuuma itũũra rĩa Bethilehemu ya Juda, watũũraga thĩinĩ wa mũhĩrĩga wa Juda,
One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,
8 akiuma itũũra-inĩ rĩu agĩthiĩ gwetha kũndũ kũngĩ gwa gũtũũra. Arĩ njĩra-inĩ agĩkora nyũmba ya Mika ĩrĩa yarĩ bũrũri-inĩ ũrĩa wa irĩma wa Efiraimu.
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 akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Wee uumĩte kũ?” Nake akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Niĩ ndĩ Mũlawii kuuma Bethilehemu ya Juda, na ndĩreetha kũndũ gwa gũtũũra.”
“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 Nake Mika akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Tũũrania na niĩ ũtuĩke baba na mũthĩnjĩri-ngai wakwa, na nĩndĩrĩkũheaga cekeri ikũmi cia betha o mwaka, na nguo ciaku cia kwĩhumba na irio cia kũrĩa.”
“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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Mũlawii ũcio agĩĩtĩkĩra gũtũũrania hamwe nake, na mwanake ũcio agĩtuĩka ta ũmwe wa ariũ ake.
and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.
12 Ningĩ Mika akĩamũra Mũlawii ũcio, nake mwanake ũcio agĩtuĩka mũthĩnjĩri-ngai wake na agĩtũũra gwake mũciĩ.
Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.
13 Nake Mika akiuga atĩrĩ, “Rĩu nĩndamenya atĩ Jehova nĩekũnjĩka wega, nĩgũkorwo Mũlawii ũyũ nĩatuĩkĩte mũthĩnjĩri-ngai wakwa.”
“I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.
