17

Micah’s Idolatry

¹Now there was a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name was⚓Micah. ²And he said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and on which you ⚓put a curse, even saying it in my ears—here is the silver with me; I took it.”
And his mother said, ⚓“May you be blessed by the Lord, my son!” ³So when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, “I had wholly dedicated the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son, to ⚓make a carved image and a molded image; now therefore, I will return it to you.” ⁴Thus he returned the silver to his mother. Then his mother ⚓took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molded image; and they were in the house of Micah.
⁵The man Micah had a ⚓shrine, and made an ⚓ephod and ⚓household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. ⁶⚓In those days there was no king in Israel; ⚓everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
⁷Now there was a young man from ⚓Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah; he was a Levite, and ⚓was staying there. ⁸The man departed from the city of Bethlehem in Judah to stay wherever he could find a place. Then he came to the mountains of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he journeyed. ⁹And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?”
So he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am on my way to find a place to stay.”
¹⁰Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, ⚓and be a ⚓father and a priest to me, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.” So the Levite went in. ¹¹Then the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man became like one of his sons to him. ¹²So Micah ⚓consecrated the Levite, and the young man ⚓became his priest, and lived in the house of Micah. ¹³Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as ⚓priest!”

17

Mikhas Cov Mlom

¹Muaj ib tug txivneej npe hu ua Mikhas nyob pem laj roob Efalayees. ²Nws hais rau nws niam tias, “Koj ib txhiab ib puas daim nyiaj uas luag nyiag lawm, koj tau tsawm foom tsis zoo rau tus tubsab ntawd, nimno cov nyiaj nyob ntawm kuv. Kuv yog tus nyiag cov nyiaj ntawd ntag.”
Nws niam hais tias, “Kuv tus metub, thov tus TSWV foom koob hmoov rau koj!” ³Nws muab cov nyiaj ntawd rov qab rau nws niam, nws niam hais tias, “Thov kom tej lus uas kuv foom tsis zoo poob ntawm kuv tus tub mus, kuv thov coglus muab cov nyiaj no fij rau tus TSWV. Yuav muab cov nyiaj no mus ua ob tug mlom, ib tug yog txaug thiab ib tug yog nchuav. Yog li ntawd, kuv yuav muab cov nyiaj no rov qab rau koj.” ⁴Yog li ntawd, nws thiaj muab cov nyiaj ntawd rov rau nws niam. Nws niam thiaj nqa ob puas daim nyiaj ntawd mus rau ib tug kws nchuav nyiaj; nws muab ua ob tug mlom, ib tug yog txaug thiab ib tug yog nchuav. Nqa mus txawb rau hauv Mikhas tsev.
⁵Tus Mikhas no muaj ib lub tsev teev mlom. Nws muaj ntau tus mlom thiab muaj ib tug efaus, nws tsa nws cov tub ib tug ua povthawj. ⁶Lub sijhawm ntawd cov Yixalayees tsis muaj vajntxwv kav lawv; txhua tus neeg nyias ua raws li nyias lub siab nyiam xwb.
⁷Lub sijhawm ntawd muaj ib tug tub hluas Levis nyob hauv lub nroog Npelehees hauv xeev Yudas. ⁸Nws tsiv tawm hauv lub nroog Npelehees mus nrhiav chaw nyob rau lwm qhov. Thaum nws tabtom taug kev mus, nws mus txog hauv Mikhas lub tsev uas nyob pem laj roob Efalayees. ⁹Mikhas nug tus tub hluas ntawd hais tias, “Koj tuaj qhov twg tuaj?”
Nws teb hais tias, “Kuv yog ib tug tub hluas Levis, kuv nyob hauv lub nroog Npelehees xeev Yudas tuaj. Kuv tuaj nrhiav chaw nyob.”
¹⁰Mikhas teb hais tias, “Koj cia li nrog kuv nyob ua kuv txiv thiab ua kuv tus povthawj. Ib xyoo twg kuv muab kaum daim nyiaj, muab ris tsho thiab zaub mov rau koj.” ¹¹Tus tub hluas Levis txaus siab nrog Mikhas nyob thiab ua zoo li nws yog Mikhas tus tub lawm ntag. ¹²Mikhas tsa nws ua Mikhas tus povthawj thiab nws nyob hauv Mikhas tsev. ¹³Mikhas hais tias, “Nimno kuv muaj ib tug Levis los ua kuv tus povthawj lawm, kuv paub hais tias tus TSWV yuav ua txhua yam zoo rau kuv.”