Abahluleli 17
1 Indoda eyayithiwa nguMikha eyayivela elizweni lamaqaqa ako-Efrayimi
And there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 yathi kunina, “Amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu alitshumi lanye athathwa kuwe njalo engakuzwa uwaqalekisa, sikimi lesosiliva; yimi engasithathayo.” Unina wathi, “UThixo kakubusise, ndodana yami!”
And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me. I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be my son from Jehovah.
3 Esewabuyisele kunina amashekeli esiliva angamakhulu alitshumi lanye, unina wathi, “Isiliva sami ngisahlukanisela uThixo ngokuqinisekileyo ukuba indodana yami yenze isithombe esibaziweyo, sahuqwa ngesiliva. Ngizasibisela kuwe.”
And he restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, I verily dedicate the silver to Jehovah from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to thee.
4 Ngakho esesibisele kunina isiliva, unina wasethatha amashekeli angamakhulu amabili esiliva wawanika umkhandi wesiliva, wenza isithombe ngaso. Sabekwa endlini kaMikha.
And when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made of it a graven image and a molten image. And it was in the house of Micah.
5 UMikha lo wayelendawo yokukhonzela, njalo wenza isembatho semahlombe kanye lezithombe, wasebeka enye yamadodana akhe ukuba ngumphristi wakhe.
And the man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 Ngalezonsuku u-Israyeli wayengelankosi; umuntu wonke ezenzela ayekubona kulungile kuye.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 Ijaha laseBhethilehema koJuda elalingumLevi, elalihlala phakathi kwabosendo lukaJuda,
And there was a young man out of Bethlehem-judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.
8 lasuka kulowomuzi lidinga enye indawo yokuhlala. Ekuhambeni kwalo lafika endlini kaMikha elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi.
And the man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem-judah, to sojourn where he could find a place. And he came to the hill-country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.
9 UMikha walibuza wathi, “Uvela ngaphi na?” Lona lathi, “NgingumLevi ovela eBhethilehema koJuda, ngidinga indawo yokuhlala.”
And Micah said to him, From where come thou? And he said to him, I am a Levite of Bethlehem-judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.
10 UMikha wasesithi kulo, “Hlala lami ube ngubaba lomphristi wami, njalo ngizakupha amashekeli esiliva alitshumi ngomnyaka, izigqoko zakho kanye lokudla kwakho.”
And Micah said to him, Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy food. So the Levite went in.
11 Ngakho umLevi wavuma ukuhlala laye, njalo ijaha lelo lalinjengenye yamadodana akhe.
And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was to him as one of his sons.
12 UMikha wabeka umLevi ukuba ngumphristi wakhe, njalo ijaha lelo lahlala endlini yakhe.
And Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 UMikha wasesithi, “Khathesi sengisazi ukuthi uThixo uzakwenza okulungileyo kimi, njengoba umLevi lo esebe ngumphristi wami.”
Then Micah said, Now I know that Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest.
