Abahluleli 17
1 Kwakukhona-ke umuntu wentabeni yakoEfrayimi, obizo lakhe lalinguMika.
There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim, and his 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 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you spoke a curse, and which I heard—look here! I have the silver with me. I stole it.” His mother said, “May Yahweh bless you, 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 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother and his mother said, “I set apart this silver to Yahweh, for my son to make carved and cast metal figures. So now, I 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 metal worker who made them into carved and cast metal figures, and they were placed 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 idols and he made an ephod and household gods, and he hired one of his sons to become his priest.
6 Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli; wonke umuntu wayesenza okwakulungile emehlweni akhe.
In those days there was no king in Israel, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
7 Njalo kwakukhona ijaha leBhethelehema-Juda, elosendo lukaJuda, elalingumLevi, njalo lahlala njengowezizwe khona.
Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the clan of Judah, who was a Levite. He stayed there to fulfill his duties.
8 Lowomuntu wasesuka emzini, eBhethelehema-Juda, ukuyahlala njengowezizwe lapho ayengathola khona indawo. Wafika entabeni yakoEfrayimi, endlini kaMika, ehamba ngendlela yakhe.
The man left Bethlehem in Judah to go and find a place to live. As he journeyed, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 UMika wasesithi kuye: Uvela ngaphi? Wasesithi kuye: NgingumLevi weBhethelehema-Juda, ngiya ukuyahlala njengowezizwe lapho engingathola khona indawo.
Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” The man said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am traveling to find a place where I might 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, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, a suit of clothes, and your food.” So the Levite went into his house.
11 UmLevi wavuma ukuhlala lalowomuntu; njalo ijaha laba kuye njengomunye wamadodana akhe.
The Levite was content to live with the man, and the young man became to Micah like one of his sons.
12 UMika wamehlukanisa umLevi, ijaha laselisiba ngumpristi wakhe, laba sendlini kaMika.
Micah set apart the Levite for sacred duties, and the young man became his priest, and was in Micah's house.
13 UMika wasesithi: Khathesi ngiyazi ukuthi iNkosi izangenzela okuhle, ngoba ngilomLevi ongumpristi.
Then Micah said, “Now I know that Yahweh will do good for me, because this Levite has become my priest.”
