Ndị Ikpe 17
1 E nwere otu nwoke si nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, aha ya bụ Maịka.
There was a man named Micah who lived in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
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!”
One day he said to his mother, “I heard you curse whoever stole (1,100 pieces/28 pounds/13 kg.) of silver from your house. I am the one who took the silver, and I still have it.” His mother replied, “My son, I pray that Yahweh will bless you [for admitting that you took it].”
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.”
Micah gave all the silver back to his mother. Then she said [to herself], “I will give [some of] this silver to Yahweh.” And she said to her son, “My son, I want you to make an idol and a statue [from this silver]. So I will give [some of] this silver back to you [for making these things].”
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.
So when he gave all the silver to his mother, she took (200 pieces/about 5 pounds/1.6 kg.) of it to a (silversmith/man who made things from silver). With the silver that man made an idol and a statue, [and gave them to Micah]. Micah put them in his 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.
He had in his house a special (shrine/place for putting sacred things). He made a sacred vest and some small idols [and put them in this shrine along with the big idol and the statue]. Then Micah chose one of his sons to become 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, the Israeli people did not have a king. So [Micah and everyone else] did whatever they considered to be the right thing to do.
7 Otu nwokorobịa onye Livayị, sitere nʼobodo Betlehem nke dị na Juda, bụ onye binyere ndị agbụrụ Juda,
There was a young man who had been living in Bethlehem in the area where the tribe of Judah lives. He [wanted to work as a priest because he] was a member of the tribe of Levi.
8 hapụrụ obodo ahụ, bụ Betlehem Juda ịchọ ọnọdụ nʼebe ọzọ. Mgbe ọ na-aga, ọ bịaruru nʼụlọ Maịka nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem.
So he left Bethlehem to find another place to live [and work]. He came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
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.”
Micah asked him, “Where are you from?” He replied, “I come from Bethlehem. I am from the tribe of Levi, and I am looking for a place to live [and work as a priest].”
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.”
Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and you can become like a father [to counsel me], and be my priest. Each year I will give to you ten pieces of silver and some [new] clothes. And I will provide food for you.”
11 Ya mere, onye Livayị ahụ kwere nʼihe ọ gwara ya, nwokorobịa ahụ sooro ya biri ka otu nʼime ụmụ ya ndị ikom.
So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.
12 Mgbe ahụ, Maịka nyere onye Livayị ahụ ọrụ, nwokorobịa ahụ ghọọrọ ya onye nchụaja, birikwa nʼụlọ ya.
Micah appointed him to be a 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.”
Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good things for me, because I have a man from the tribe of Levi to be my priest.”
