Atemmufoɔ 17
1 Ɔbarima bi tenaa Efraim bepɔ 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 Ɛda koro bi, ɔka kyerɛɛ ne maame sɛ, “Metee sɛ wodomee ɔkorɔmfoɔ a ɔwiaa wo nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu firii wo nkyɛn no. Ɛyɛ, ɛnie. Me ara na mefaeɛ.” Ne maame kaa sɛ, “Awurade nhyira wo sɛ woaka nokorɛ.”
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 sika no maa no no, ne maame no kaa sɛ, “Mede saa nnwetɛbena kilogram dumienu ne fa yi ma Awurade. Mɛma wɔayɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni a wɔagu de ahyɛ me babarima animuonyam.”
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 maame de nnwetɛbena ahanu kɔmaa dwetɛdwumfoɔ na ɔde yɛɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni. Na wɔde sii Mika fie.
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 asɔreeɛ na ɔyɛɛ asɔfotadeɛ ne efiefoɔ ahoni kaa ho. Ɛnna ɔhyɛɛ ne mmammarima no mu baako ɔsɔfoɔ.
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 ɛberɛ no na Israel nni ɔhene, enti na nnipa no yɛ deɛ 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 Ɛda bi, Lewini aberanteɛ bi a ɔfiri 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 bɛduruu saa beaeɛ hɔ wɔ Efraim asase so a ɔrepɛ baabi pa atena. Ɛbaa sɛ, ɔkɔsoɛɛ Mika fie.
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 sɛ, “Ɛhe na wofiri?” Ɔno nso buaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Lewini a mefiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda na merepɛ baabi matena.”
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 sɛ, “Wo ne me ntena ha, na wobɛyɛ agya ne ɔsɔfoɔ ama me. Mɛma wo nnwetɛbena gram ɔha ne dunan afe biara; mɛma wo ntadeɛ ne aduane.”
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 mmammarima 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 ɔsɔfoɔ, na ɔtenaa Mika fie.
Micah appointed him to be a priest, and he lived in Micah’s house.
13 Na Mika kaa sɛ, “Menim sɛ Awurade bɛhyira me, ɛfiri sɛ, mewɔ Lewini a ɔresom sɛ me ɔsɔfoɔ.”
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.”
