Micah's Idols
1 There was once a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He told his mother, “When someone stole those eleven hundred pieces of silver from you, you put a curse on the robber. I heard you do it. Look, I have the money. I am the one who took it.”
His mother said, “May the Lord bless you, my son!” 3 He gave the money back to his mother, and she said, “To keep the curse from falling on my son, I myself am solemnly dedicating the silver to the Lord. It will be used to make a wooden idol covered with silver. So now I will give the pieces of silver back to you.” 4 Then he gave them back to his mother. She took two hundred of the pieces of silver and gave them to a metalworker, who made an idol, carving it from wood and covering it with the silver. It was placed in Micah's house.
5 This man Micah had his own place of worship. He made some idols and an ephod, and appointed one of his sons as his priest. 6 There was no king in Israel at that time; everyone did whatever they wanted.
7 At that same time there was a young Levite who had been living in the town of Bethlehem in Judah. 8 He left Bethlehem to find another place to live. While he was traveling, he came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim. 9 Micah asked him, “Where do you come from?”
He answered, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am looking for a place to live.”
10 Micah said, “Stay with me. Be my adviser and priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, some clothes, and your food.” 11 The young Levite agreed to stay with Micah and became like a son to him. 12 Micah appointed him as his priest, and he lived in Micah's home. 13 Micah said, “Now that I have a Levite as my priest, I know that the Lord will make things go well for me.”
1 Un tur bija kāds vīrs no Efraima kalniem, un viņa vārds bija Miha. 2 Un tas sacīja savai mātei: "Tie tūkstoš un simts sudraba gabali, kas tika tev paņemti un par kuriem tu esi izteikusi lāstu un pie tam, man pašam to dzirdot, redzi, tos es esmu pats paņēmis. Šī nauda ir tagad pie manis, bet nu es to gribu tev atdot atpakaļ." Tad viņa māte tam teica: "Esi, mans dēls, Tā Kunga svētīts!" 3 Tad viņš atdeva atpakaļ savai mātei tūkstoš un simts sudraba gabalus, bet viņa māte sacīja: "Es svētīdama šo naudu no savas rokas esmu veltījusi Tam Kungam sava dēla labā, lai darinātu grieztu tēlu un lietu attēlu, bet tagad atdodu tev to atpakaļ." 4 Bet, kad viņš no jauna atdeva savai mātei naudu, tad viņa māte ņēma divi simti sudraba gabalus un tos iedeva zeltkalim, lai tas darinātu grieztu tēlu un lietu attēlu. Un tie atradās Mihas namā. 5 Tā nu vīram Miham bija svētnīca; viņš darināja arī efodu un terafīmu un salīga un iesvētīja kādu, lai tas būtu viņam par priesteri. 6 Tanīs dienās vēl nebija ķēniņa Israēlā, un ikviens darīja to, kas tam likās taisns paša acīs. 7 Un tad tur bija kāds jauneklis no Bētlemes Jūdas zemē, no Jūdas cilts, tas bija levīts. Un viņš tur piemājoja. 8 Šis vīrs bija atstājis savu pilsētu Bētlemi Jūdā, lai piemājotu, kur vien vieta gadītos, un, savu ceļu iedams, viņš nonāca Efraima kalnos Mihas namā. 9 Tad Miha tam jautāja: "No kurienes tu nāc?" Un viņš tam atbildēja: "Es esmu levīts no Bētlemes Jūdā, un eju un piemājoju, kur vieta gadās." 10 Tad Miha viņam sacīja: "Paliec pie manis un topi tu man gan par tēvu, gan par priesteri. Es tev došu ik gadus desmit sudraba gabalus, arī pienācīgu apģērbu un uzturu tavai iztikai." Un levīts palika. 11 Viņš bija ar mieru palikt pie Mihas, un šis jauneklis viņam kļuva tikpat kā viens no viņa dēliem. 12 Un Miha iesvētīja levītu, un šis jauneklis tam kļuva par priesteri un palika Mihas namā. 13 Tad Miha sacīja: "Tagad es zinu, ka Tas Kungs darīs man labu, tāpēc ka šis levīts man ir kļuvis par priesteri."
