Atemmufo 17
1 Ɔbarima bi tenaa Efraim bepɔw asase so a na wɔfrɛ no Mika.
There was a man named Micah who lived in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim live.
2 Da koro bi, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne na se, “Metee sɛ wodomee ɔkorɔmfo a owiaa wo nnwetɛbona kilogram du abien ne fa fii wo nkyɛn no. Nnwetɛbona no wɔ me nkyɛn. Me ara na mefae.” Ne na kae se, “Awurade nhyira wo, me ba.”
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 Ɔde nnwetɛbona kilogram du abien ne fa no maa ne na no, ne na no kae se, “Metew me nnwetɛbona yi ho ma Awurade. Mɛma wɔayɛ ohoni a wɔde dwetɛ agu. Mɛsan de ama wo.”
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 Enti ne na de nnwetɛbona ahannu kɔmaa dwetɛdwumfo na ɔde yɛɛ ohoni. Na wɔde sii Mika fi.
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 Mika yɛɛ nsɔre so na ɔyɛɛ asɔfotade ne ne fifo ahoni kaa ho. Ɛnna ɔhyɛɛ ne mmabarima no mu baako sɔfo.
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 Saa bere no na Israel nni ɔhene, nti na nnipa no yɛ nea wɔpɛ biara.
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 Da bi, Lewini aberante bi a ofi Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda
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 beduu saa beae hɔ wɔ Efraim asase so a ɔrehwehwɛ baabi foforo atena. Ɛbae sɛ, ɔkɔsoɛɛ wɔ Mika fi.
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 Mika bisaa no se, “Ɛhe na wufi?” Ɔno nso buae se, “Meyɛ Lewini a mifi Betlehem wɔ Yuda na merehwehwɛ baabi atena.”
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 Mika ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wo ne me ntena ha, na wobɛyɛ agya ne ɔsɔfo ama me. Mɛma wo nnwetɛbona gram ɔha ne dunan afe biara; mɛma wo ntade ne aduan.”
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 Lewini no penee so na ɔbɛyɛɛ sɛ Mika mmabarima no mu baako.
So the young man agreed to live with Micah. He became like one of Micah’s own sons.
12 Enti Mika hyɛɛ Lewini no sɔfo, na ɔtenaa Mika fi.
Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.
13 Na Mika kae se, “Minim sɛ Awurade behyira me, efisɛ mewɔ Lewini a ɔresom sɛ me sɔfo.”
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.”
