Ndị Ikpe 17
1 E nwere otu nwoke si nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, aha ya bụ Maịka.
A man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim
2 Otu ụbọchị, Maịka gwara nne ya okwu sị ya, “I chetara puku na narị ego ọlaọcha shekel ndị ahụ funarịrị gị, nke i ji nʼihi ya bụọ onye zuru ya ọnụ nʼoge gara aga? Eji m ọlaọcha ahụ. Ọ bụ m weere ya.” Nne ya sịrị, “Ka Onyenwe anyị gọzie gị nwa m!”
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 Mgbe o nyeghachiri nne ya puku na narị ego ọlaọcha shekel ahụ, nne ya gwara ya sị, “Ana m edo ọlaọcha ndị a nsọ nye Onyenwe anyị nʼihi nwa m nwoke maka iji ya mee oyiyi a pịrị apị na arụsị a kpụrụ akpụ. Aga m emesịa nyeghachi gị ya.”
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 Ya mere, o nyeghachiri nne ya ọlaọcha ahụ, Nne ya weere narị ego ọlaọcha shekel abụọ wegara ọkpụ ụzụ ọlaọcha, onye jiri ya mee oyiyi a pịrị apị na ihe a kpụrụ akpụ. E tinyere ha nʼụlọ Maịka.
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 Nwoke ahụ bụ Maịka nwere ụlọ arụsị, o mere efọọd na arụsị ezinaụlọ dị iche iche, mee otu nʼime ụmụ ya ndị ikom ka ọ bụrụ onye nchụaja ya.
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 Nʼụbọchị ndị a, Izrel enweghị eze na-achị ha. Nʼihi nke a, onye ọbụla na-eme ihe ọbụla ọ chọrọ, na ihe ọbụla dị ya mma nʼanya.
At that time Israel didn't have a king— everyone did what they themselves thought was the right thing to do.
7 Otu nwokorobịa onye Livayị, sitere nʼobodo Betlehem nke dị na Juda, bụ onye binyere ndị agbụrụ Juda,
One young man, a Levite from the tribe of Judah had been living in Bethlehem in Judah,
8 hapụrụ obodo ahụ, bụ Betlehem Juda ịchọ ọnọdụ nʼebe ọzọ. Mgbe ọ na-aga, ọ bịaruru nʼụlọ Maịka nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem.
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 Maịka jụrụ ya, “Ebee ka i si bịa?” Ọ sịrị “Abụ m onye Livayị si Betlehem dị na Juda. Ana m achọrọ onwe m ebe m ga-anọ.”
“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 Mgbe ahụ, Maịka sịrị ya, “Soro biri nʼụlọ m, ghọkwara m nna na onye nchụaja, aga m akwụ gị mkpụrụ ego ọlaọcha shekel iri kwa afọ, nyekwa gị uwe, na ihe oriri.”
“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 Ya mere, onye Livayị ahụ kwere nʼihe ọ gwara ya, nwokorobịa ahụ sooro ya biri ka otu nʼime ụmụ ya ndị ikom.
and agreed to stay with him. The young man became like a son to him.
12 Mgbe ahụ, Maịka nyere onye Livayị ahụ ọrụ, nwokorobịa ahụ ghọọrọ ya onye nchụaja, birikwa nʼụlọ ya.
Micah ordained the Levite as his own priest and he lived in Micah's house.
13 Mgbe ahụ, Maịka kwuru, “Ugbu a, amaara m na Onyenwe anyị ga-agọzi m nke ukwuu, nʼihi na onye Livayị a aghọọla onye nchụaja m.”
“I'm sure the Lord will bless me now, because I have a Levite as my priest,” Micah concluded.
