Judges 17
1 There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.
Palikuwa na mtu aliyeitwa Mika ambaye aliishi katika vilima vya Efraimu.
2 He said to his mother, “The eleven hundred pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears—behold, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May the LORD bless my son!”
Akamwambia mama yake, “Zile shekeli 1,100 za fedha zilizochukuliwa kwako, ambazo nilisikia ukizinenea maneno ya laana, hizi hapa; mimi ndiye niliyezichukua, lakini sasa ninakurudishia.” Ndipo mama yake akamwambia, “Bwana na akubariki, mwanangu.”
3 He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”
Alipozirudisha zile shekeli 1,100 za fedha kwa mama yake, mama yake akamwambia, “Mimi nimeiweka fedha hii wakfu kwa Bwana kwa ajili ya mwanangu kutengenezea kinyago cha kuchonga na sanamu ya kusubu. Mimi nitakurudishia wewe.”
4 When he restored the money to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver, and gave them to a silversmith, who made a carved image and a molten image out of it. It was in the house of Micah.
Hivyo akamrudishia mama yake ile fedha, naye mama yake akachukua shekeli mia mbili za hiyo fedha na kumpa mfua fedha, ambaye aliifanyiza kinyago na sanamu. Navyo vikawekwa ndani ya nyumba ya Mika.
5 The man Micah had a house of gods, and he made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
Basi Mika alikuwa na mahali pa kuabudia miungu, akatengeneza naivera, pamoja na vinyago, na kumweka mmoja wa wanawe kuwa kuhani wake.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
Katika siku hizo Israeli hawakuwa na mfalme, kila mmoja akafanya kama alivyoona vyema machoni pake mwenyewe.
7 There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.
Basi palikuwa na kijana mmoja wa Bethlehemu ya Yuda. Yeye alikuwa Mlawi aliyeishi miongoni mwa kabila la Yuda.
8 The man departed out of the city, out of Bethlehem Judah, to live where he could find a place, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he travelled.
Huyu kijana akatoka katika mji huo wa Bethlehemu ya Yuda na kutafuta mahali pengine ambapo angeweza kuishi. Alipokuwa akisafiri, akafika nyumbani kwa Mika katika vilima vya Efraimu.
9 Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?” He said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem Judah, and I am looking for a place to live.”
Mika akamuuliza, “Wewe umetoka wapi?” Akamjibu, “Mimi ni Mlawi kutoka Bethlehemu ya Yuda, ninatafuta mahali pa kuishi.”
10 Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver per year, a suit of clothing, and your food.” So the Levite went in.
Ndipo Mika akamwambia, “Ishi pamoja nami, uwe baba yangu na kuhani wangu, nami nitakupa shekeli kumi za fedha, nguo na chakula.”
11 The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.
Hivyo yule Mlawi akakubali kuishi pamoja naye, naye huyo kijana akawa kwake kama mmoja wa wanawe.
12 Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.
Hivyo Mika akamweka wakfu huyo kijana Mlawi, naye huyo akawa kuhani wake na kuishi nyumbani mwake.
13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will do good to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”
Ndipo Mika akasema, “Sasa najua Bwana atanitendea mema, kwa kuwa Mlawi huyu amekuwa kuhani wangu.”
