Dommer 17

1 I Efraims Bjerge levede en Mand, som hed Mika.

Now there was a man of the hill-country of Ephraim named Micah.

2 Han sagde til sin Moder: "De 1100 Sekel Sølv, du har mistet, og for hvis Skyld du udtalte en Forbandelse, som jeg selv hørte, se, de Penge er hos mig; jeg har taget dem, men nu vil jeg give dig dem tilbage." Da sagde hans Moder: "HERREN velsigne dig, min Søn!"

And he said to his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver which were taken from you, about which you took an oath and said in my hearing, I have given this silver to the Lord from my hand for myself, to make a pictured image and a metal image: see, I have the silver, for I took it: so now I will give it back to you. And his mother said, May the blessing of the Lord be on my son.

3 Så gav han sin Moder de 1100 Sekel Sølv tilbage; og Moderen sagde: "Disse Penge helliger jeg HERREN og giver min Søn, for at han kan lave et udskåret og støbt Billede."

And he gave back the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, and his mother said, I have made the silver holy to the Lord from me for my son, to make a pictured image and a metal image.

4 Så gav han sin Moder Pengene tilbage; og Moderen tog 200 Sekel Sølv deraf og gav dem til Guldsmeden, som lavede et udskåret og støbt Billede deraf, og det fik sin Plads i Mikas Hus.

So he gave the silver back to his mother. Then his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a metal-worker who made a pictured image and a metal image from them: and it was in the house of Micah.

5 Manden Mika havde et Gudshus, og han lavede sig en Efod og en Husgud og indsatte en af sine Sønner til sin Præst.

And the man Micah had a house of gods; and he made an ephod and family gods and put one of his sons in the position of priest.

6 I de Dage var der ingen Konge i Israel; enhver gjorde, hvad han fandt for godt.

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did as seemed right to him.

7 Nu var der i Betlehem i Juda en ung Mand af Judas Slægt; han var Levit og boede der som fremmed.

Now there was a young man living in Beth-lehem-judah, of the family of Judah and a Levite, who was not a townsman of the place.

8 Denne Mand forlod sin By Betlehem i Juda for at slå sig ned som fremmed, hvor det kunde træffe sig, og på sin Vandring kom han til Mikas Hus i Efraims Bjerge.

And he went away from the town of Beth-lehem-judah, looking for somewhere to make his living-place; and on his journey he came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah.

9 Da spurgte Mika ham: "Hvorfra kommer du?" Han svarede: "Jeg er Levit og har hjemme i Betlehem i Juda, og jeg er på Vandring for at slå mig ned som fremmed, hvor det kan træffe sig."

And Micah said to him, Where do you come from? And he said to him, I am a Levite from Beth-lehem-judah, and I am looking for a living-place.

10 Da sagde Mika til ham: "Tag Ophold hos mig og bliv min Fader og Præst; jeg vil give dig ti Sekel Sølv om Året og holde dig med Klæder og give dig Kosten!"

Then Micah said to him, Make your living-place with me, and be a father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver a year and your clothing and food.

11 Så gik Leviten ind på at tage Ophold hos Manden, og den unge Mand var ham som en af hans egne Sønner.

And the Levite said he would make his living-place with the man, and he became to him as one of his sons.

12 Mika indsatte så Leviten, og den unge Mand blev Præst hos ham og tog Ophold i Mikas Hus.

And Micah gave the position to the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

13 Da sagde Mika: "Nu ved jeg, at HERREN vil gøre vel imod mig, siden jeg har fået en Levit til Præst!"

Then Micah said, Now I am certain that the Lord will do me good, seeing that the Levite has become my priest.