Micah Makes Idols and Hires a Priest
1 Micah belonged to the Ephraim tribe and lived in the hill country. 2 One day he told his mother, “Do you remember those 1,100 pieces of silver that were stolen from you? I was there when you put a curse on whoever stole them. Well, I'm the one who did it.”
His mother answered, “I pray that the Lord will bless you, my son.”
3-4 Micah returned the silver to his mother, and she said, “I give this silver to the Lord, so my son can use it to make an idol.” Turning to her son, she said, “Micah, now the silver belongs to you.”
But Micah handed it back to his mother. She took 200 pieces of the silver and gave them to a silver worker, who made them into an idol. They kept the idol in Micah's house. 5 He had a shrine for worshiping God there at his home, and he had made some idols and a sacred priestly vest. Micah chose one of his own sons to be the priest for his shrine.
6 This was before kings ruled Israel, so all the Israelites did whatever they thought was right.
7-8 One day a young Levite came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. He had been staying with one of the clans of Judah in Bethlehem, but he had left Bethlehem to find a new place to live where he could be a priest.
9 “Where are you from?” Micah asked.
“I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” the man answered, “and I'm on my way to find a new place to live.”
10 Micah said, “Why don't you stay here with me? You can be my priest and tell me what God wants me to do. Every year I'll give you ten pieces of silver and one complete set of clothes, and I'll provide all your food.”
The young man went for a walk, 11-12 then he agreed to stay with Micah and be his priest. He lived in Micah's house, and Micah treated him like one of his own sons. 13 Micah said, “I have a Levite as my own priest. Now I know that the Lord will be kind to me.”
Mika la jalaŋ batudulaa
1 Kewo doo le be Efurayimu* konkotundoo* kaŋ, meŋ too mu Mika ti. 2 A ko a baamaa ye ko, “Suŋo doo le ye kodiforo kuntu wuli kiliŋ keme kiliŋ sika i koto. Aduŋ kabiriŋ i be suŋo ñiŋ danka kaŋ, n tuloo ye a moyi le.” A ko a ye ko, “A juubee, ñiŋ kodiforo kuntoolu be nte le bulu. Nte faŋo le ye ì taa.” Bituŋ a baamaa ko a ye ko, “N diŋo, Allamaa Yaawe* neema la i ma.” 3 Kabiriŋ a ye ñiŋ kodiforo kuntu wuli kiliŋ keme kiliŋo seyindi a baamaa ma, a baamaa ko a ye ko, “N diŋo, m be ñiŋ kodiforoo dii la Yaawe la, fo neemoo si ke i ye. Moo doo si jalaŋo lese, a ye a baloo muu niŋ ñiŋ kodiforoo la. Saayiŋ ŋa kodiforoo murundi i kaŋ.”
4 Bituŋ a baamaa ye kodiforo kuntu keme fula bondi kodiforo kuntoolu kono, a ye mennu murundi a kaŋ. A ye ì dii numoo la. Numoo ñiŋ ye jalaŋ leseriŋo taa, a ye a baloo muu niŋ kodiforoo la. Bituŋ ì taata a ke Mika la buŋo kono. 5 Mika ye a fansuŋ batudulaa le soto. A ye efodoo* dadaa, aniŋ bunkono jalaŋolu. Bituŋ a ye a dinkee kiliŋ toloo a dinkewolu kono ka ke a la piriisoo* ti. 6 Wo waatoo la, Banisirayila maŋ mansa soto. Meŋ beteyaata moo-wo-moo ñaa koto, a ka wo le ke.
7 Wo waatoo la, fondinkewo doo le bota Betilehemu saatewo to, Yahuuda tundoo kaŋ, Yahuuda kaabiiloo doo kono. Lewi lasiloo moo le mu, bari a tarata tumarankeeyaa le kono Betilehemu. 8 Ñiŋ kewo ye Betilehemu saatewo bula le Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ ka taa dulaa ñini, a si sabati noo daameŋ. A la taamoo waatoo kono, a naata futa Mika yaa, Efurayimu konkotundoo kaŋ. 9 Mika ko a ye ko, “Ite ka bo naŋ mintoo le to?” A ye a jaabi, a ko a ye ko, “Nte mu Lewi lasiloo moo le ti ka bo Betilehemu Yahuuda tundoo kaŋ. M be taa kaŋ ne ka dulaa ñini, m be sabati la daameŋ.” 10 Bituŋ Mika ko a ye ko, “Sabati m fee jaŋ, i ye ke n ye yaamarilaa ti aniŋ piriisoo. M be kali la kodiforo kuntu taŋ ne dii la i la saŋ-wo-saŋ, aniŋ feetoofatoolu aniŋ i la baluwo.”
11 Lewi lasiloo moo sonta ka sabati ñiŋ kewo fee. Ñiŋ fondinkewo naata ke a ye komeŋ a diŋo. 12 Mika ye a toloo ka ke a la piriisoo ti. Bituŋ a naata sabati Mika yaa. 13 Mika kumata ko, “Saayiŋ ŋa a loŋ ne ko, Yaawe be n na kuwo samba la ñaato le, kaatu Lewi lasiloo moo le mu n na piriisoo ti.”
