Fakamaau 17

1 Pea naʻe ai ʻae tangata ʻoe moʻunga ʻo ʻIfalemi, naʻe hingoa ko Maika.

Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

2 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia ki heʻene faʻē, “Ko e konga siliva ʻe taha afe mo e teau ʻe taha, ʻaia naʻe kaihaʻasi ʻiate koe, ʻaia naʻa ke kape ai, mo ke lea ki ai ʻi hoku ʻao foki, vakai, ʻoku ʻiate au ʻae siliva; ko au naʻaku ʻave ia.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe heʻene faʻē, “Ko ʻeku tama, ke ke monūʻia koe ʻia Sihova.”

said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”

3 Pea ʻi heʻene toe ʻatu ʻae konga siliva ʻe taha afe mo e teau ki heʻene faʻē, naʻe pehē ʻe heʻene faʻē, “Naʻe ʻosi ʻeku fakatapu hono kotoa ʻoe siliva kia Sihova mei hoku nima, pea mei heʻeku tama, ke ngaohi ʻaki ia ʻae meʻa fakatātā kuo tā mo e meʻa fakatātā kuo haka: pea ko eni, te u toe tuku ia kiate koe.”

And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

4 Ka naʻa ne toe ʻatu ʻae ngaahi paʻanga ki heʻene faʻē; pea toʻo ʻe heʻene faʻē ʻo tuku ki he tufunga haka meʻa, ʻae konga siliva ʻe uangeau, ʻaia naʻa ne ngaohi ʻaki ʻae meʻa fakatātā kuo tā mo e fakatātā kuo haka: pea ne na tuʻu ʻi he fale ʻo Maika.

So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

5 Pea naʻe ʻi he tangata ko Maika ha fale ʻo hono ʻotua, pea naʻa ne ngaohi ha ʻefoti mo e tamapua, pea naʻa ne fakatapui hono foha ʻe tokotaha, ʻaia naʻe hoko ko ʻene taulaʻeiki.

Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

6 Pea ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia naʻe ʻikai ha tuʻi ʻi ʻIsileli, ka naʻe fai ʻe he tangata kotoa pē ʻaia naʻe lelei ʻi hono mata ʻoʻona.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

7 Pea naʻe ai ʻae tangata talavou ʻe taha mei Petelihema Siuta ʻi he faʻahinga ʻo Siuta, ko e Livai ia, pea naʻe nofo ia ʻi ai.

And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah.

8 Pea naʻe hiki ʻae tangata ko ia mei he kolo ko Petelihema Siuta ke ʻalu ʻo ʻāunofo ʻi ha potu te ne hoko ki ai: pea naʻe hoko atu ia ki he moʻunga ko ʻIfalemi ki he fale ʻo Maika, ʻi heʻene fononga.

This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Maika kiate ia, “ʻOku ke haʻu mei fē? Pea pehē ʻe ia kiate ia, Ko e Livai au mei Petelihema Siuta, pea ʻoku ou ʻalu ke nofo ʻi ha potu pe.”

“Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”

10 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Maika kiate ia, “Ke ta nonofo, mo au, pea ke ʻiate au ko e tamai mo e taulaʻeiki, pea te u ʻatu kiate koe ʻae konga siliva ʻe hongofulu ʻi he taʻu ʻe taha, mo e ngaahi kofu kotoa, pea mo e meʻakai.” Pea naʻe afe ki lotoʻā ʻae tangata Livai.

“Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in

11 Pea naʻe fiemālie ai ʻae Livai ke na nonofo mo e tangata; pea naʻe tatau ʻae talavou kiate ia mo hono foha ʻe taha.

and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah.

12 Pea naʻe fakanofo ʻe Maika ʻae tangata Livai; pea naʻe hoko ʻae talavou ko hono taulaʻeiki, pea naʻe nofo ia ʻi he fale ʻo Maika.

Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.

13 Pea naʻe pehē ai ʻe Maika, “ʻOku ou ʻilo eni ʻe fai lelei ʻe Sihova kiate au, he kuo u maʻu ha [tangata ]Livai ke taulaʻeiki.”

Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”