Κριταί 17

1 καὶ ἐγένετο ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ ὄρους Εφραιμ καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Μιχαιας

In that time, there was a certain man, from mount Ephraim, named Micah.

2 καὶ εἶπεν τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ οἱ χίλιοι καὶ ἑκατόν οὓς ἔλαβες ἀργυρίου σεαυτῇ καί με ἠράσω καὶ προσεῖπας ἐν ὠσί μου ἰδοὺ τὸ ἀργύριον παρ’ ἐμοί ἐγὼ ἔλαβον αὐτό καὶ εἶπεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ εὐλογητὸς ὁ υἱός μου τῷ κυρίῳ

And he said to his mother, “The one thousand one hundred silver coins, which you had separated for yourself, and about which you had sworn in my hearing, behold, I have them, and they are with me.” And she answered him, “My son has been blessed by the Lord.”

3 καὶ ἀπέδωκεν τοὺς χιλίους καὶ ἑκατὸν τοῦ ἀργυρίου τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ ἁγιάζουσα ἡγίακα τὸ ἀργύριον τῷ κυρίῳ ἐκ χειρός μου τῷ υἱῷ μου τοῦ ποιῆσαι γλυπτὸν καὶ χωνευτόν καὶ νῦν ἀποδώσω σοι αὐτό

Therefore, he restored them to his mother. And she said to him: “I have consecrated and vowed this silver to the Lord, so that my son would receive it from my hand, and would make a molten idol and a graven image. And now I deliver it to you.”

4 καὶ ἀπέδωκεν τὸ ἀργύριον τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλαβεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ διακοσίους ἀργυρίου καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸ ἀργυροκόπῳ καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὸ γλυπτὸν καὶ χωνευτόν καὶ ἐγενήθη ἐν οἴκῳ Μιχαια

And when he restored these to his mother, she took two hundred of the silver coins, and she gave them to the silversmith, so that he might make from them a molten idol and a graven image. And it was in the house of Micah.

5 καὶ ὁ οἶκος Μιχαια αὐτῷ οἶκος θεοῦ καὶ ἐποίησεν εφωδ καὶ θαραφιν καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν τὴν χεῖρα ἀπὸ ἑνὸς υἱῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ εἰς ἱερέα

And he also separated in it a little shrine for the god. And he made an ephod and theraphim, that is, a priestly garment and idols. And he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he became his priest.

6 ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις οὐκ ἦν βασιλεὺς ἐν Ισραηλ ἀνὴρ τὸ εὐθὲς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ ἐποίει

In those days, there was no king in Israel. Instead, each one did what seemed right to himself.

7 καὶ ἐγενήθη νεανίας ἐκ Βηθλεεμ δήμου Ιουδα καὶ αὐτὸς Λευίτης καὶ οὗτος παρῴκει ἐκεῖ

Also, there was another young man, from Bethlehem of Judah, one of his relatives. And he himself was a Levite, and he was living there.

8 καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ Βηθλεεμ τῆς πόλεως Ιουδα παροικῆσαι ἐν ᾧ ἐὰν εὕρῃ τόπῳ καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως ὄρους Εφραιμ καὶ ἕως οἴκου Μιχαια τοῦ ποιῆσαι ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ

Then, departing from the city of Bethlehem, he wished to sojourn wherever he would find it beneficial to himself. And when he had arrived at mount Ephraim, while making the journey, he also turned aside for a little while to the house of Micah.

9 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μιχαιας πόθεν ἔρχῃ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν Λευίτης εἰμὶ ἀπὸ Βαιθλεεμ Ιουδα καὶ ἐγὼ πορεύομαι παροικῆσαι ἐν ᾧ ἐὰν εὕρω τόπῳ

And he was asked by him where he came from. And he responded: “I am a Levite from Bethlehem of Judah. And I am traveling so that I may live where I am able, if I perceive it to be useful to me.”

10 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Μιχαιας κάθου μετ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ γίνου μοι εἰς πατέρα καὶ εἰς ἱερέα καὶ ἐγὼ δώσω σοι δέκα ἀργυρίου εἰς ἡμέραν καὶ στολὴν ἱματίων καὶ τὰ πρὸς ζωήν σου καὶ ἐπορεύθη ὁ Λευίτης

And Micah said: “Stay with me. And you shall be to me like a parent and a priest. And I will give to you, each year, ten silver coins, and a double-layered garment, and whatever provisions are necessary.”

11 καὶ ἤρξατο παροικεῖν παρὰ τῷ ἀνδρί καὶ ἐγενήθη ὁ νεανίας παρ’ αὐτῷ ὡς εἷς ἀπὸ υἱῶν αὐτοῦ

He agreed, and he stayed with the man. And he was to him like one of his sons.

12 καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν Μιχαιας τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ Λευίτου καὶ ἐγένετο αὐτῷ εἰς ἱερέα καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν οἴκῳ Μιχαια

And Micah filled his hand, and he had the young man with him as his priest,

13 καὶ εἶπεν Μιχαιας νῦν ἔγνων ὅτι ἀγαθυνεῖ κύριος ἐμοί ὅτι ἐγένετό μοι ὁ Λευίτης εἰς ἱερέα

saying: “Now I know that God will be good to me, since I have a priest from the stock of the Levites.”