Atemmufoɔ 17

1 Ɔbarima bi tenaa Efraim bepɔ asase so a na wɔfrɛ no Mika.

There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

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.”

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 Yahweh bless my son!”

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.”

He restored the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, then his mother said, “I most certainly dedicate the silver to Yahweh from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.”

4 Enti ne maame de nnwetɛbena ahanu kɔmaa dwetɛdwumfoɔ na ɔde yɛɛ nsɛsodeɛ ne ohoni. Na wɔde sii Mika fie.

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.

5 Mika yɛɛ asɔreeɛ na ɔyɛɛ asɔfotadeɛ ne efiefoɔ ahoni kaa ho. Ɛnna ɔhyɛɛ ne mmammarima no mu baako ɔsɔfoɔ.

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.

6 Saa ɛberɛ no na Israel nni ɔhene, enti na nnipa no yɛ deɛ wɔpɛ biara.

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.

7 Ɛda bi, Lewini aberanteɛ bi a ɔfiri Betlehem a ɛwɔ Yuda

There was a young man out of Bethlehem Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite; and he lived there.

8 bɛduruu saa beaeɛ hɔ wɔ Efraim asase so a ɔrepɛ baabi pa atena. Ɛbaa sɛ, ɔkɔsoɛɛ Mika fie.

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 traveled.

9 Mika bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛhe na wofiri?” Ɔno nso buaa sɛ, “Meyɛ Lewini a mefiri Betlehem wɔ Yuda na merepɛ baabi matena.”

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.”

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, “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.

11 Lewini no penee so na ɔbɛyɛɛ sɛ Mika mmammarima no mu baako.

The Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was to him as one of his sons.

12 Enti, Mika hyɛɛ Lewini no ɔsɔfoɔ, na ɔtenaa Mika fie.

Micah consecrated the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

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 to me, since I have a Levite as my priest.”