Abahluleli 17
1 Kwakukhona-ke umuntu wentabeni yakoEfrayimi, obizo lakhe lalinguMika.
There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
2 Wasesithi kunina: Izinhlamvu zesiliva eziyinkulungwane lekhulu ezathathwa kuwe, owaqalekisa ngazo, njalo wakhuluma endlebeni zami, khangela, leyomali ikimi, mina ngayithatha. Unina wasesithi: Kawubusiswe eNkosini, ndodana yami.
He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears—behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May the LORD bless my son!”
3 Wathi esezibuyisele kunina izinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane lekhulu zesiliva, unina wathi: Ngasengisehlukanisile lokusehlukanisela iNkosi isiliva sami sivela esandleni sami sibe ngesendodana yami, ukuze ngenze isithombe esibaziweyo lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa. Khathesi-ke ngizasibuyisela kuwe.
He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”
4 Kodwa wayibuyisela imali kunina. Unina wasethatha izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingamakhulu amabili, wazinika umkhandi, owenza ngazo isithombe esibaziweyo lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa; zasezisiba sendlini kaMika.
When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image out of it. It was in the house of Micah.
5 Njalo lowomuntu uMika wayelendlu yabonkulunkulu, wenza i-efodi lamatherafi, wehlukanisa omunye wamadodana akhe, ukuze abe ngumpristi wakhe.
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 kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli; wonke umuntu wayesenza okwakulungile emehlweni akhe.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
7 Njalo kwakukhona ijaha leBhethelehema-Juda, elosendo lukaJuda, elalingumLevi, njalo lahlala njengowezizwe khona.
There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.
8 Lowomuntu wasesuka emzini, eBhethelehema-Juda, ukuyahlala njengowezizwe lapho ayengathola khona indawo. Wafika entabeni yakoEfrayimi, endlini kaMika, ehamba ngendlela yakhe.
The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he traveled.
9 UMika wasesithi kuye: Uvela ngaphi? Wasesithi kuye: NgingumLevi weBhethelehema-Juda, ngiya ukuyahlala njengowezizwe lapho engingathola khona indawo.
Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”
10 UMika wasesithi kuye: Hlala lami, ube kimi ngubaba lompristi, mina ngizakunika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezilitshumi ngomnyaka, lezigqoko zokugqoka, lokudla kwakho. UmLevi wasengena.
Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food.” So the Levite went in.
11 UmLevi wavuma ukuhlala lalowomuntu; njalo ijaha laba kuye njengomunye wamadodana akhe.
The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.
12 UMika wamehlukanisa umLevi, ijaha laselisiba ngumpristi wakhe, laba sendlini kaMika.
Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
13 UMika wasesithi: Khathesi ngiyazi ukuthi iNkosi izangenzela okuhle, ngoba ngilomLevi ongumpristi.
Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”
