1V Efraimských horách byl jeden muž jménem Míkajáš.2Ten řekl své matce: „Víš, jak ti někdo vzal těch jedenáct set šekelů stříbra? Slyšel jsem, jak jsi kvůli nim vyslovila kletbu. Nuže, to stříbro mám já. To já je vzal, teď ti je ale vracím.“[1] „Hospodin ti žehnej, můj synu!“ zvolala jeho matka.3Jakmile jí těch jedenáct set stříbrných vrátil, prohlásila: „To stříbro slavnostně zasvěcuji Hospodinu za svého syna a nechám z něj odlít modlu.“4Poté, co jí to stříbro vrátil, vzala jeho matka 200 šekelů[2] stříbra a dala je kovotepci, který z něj odlil modlu. Tu pak měl Míkajáš v domě.5Tento muž, Míka, měl doma svatyni. Vyrobil také efod a bůžky a pověřil jednoho ze svých synů, aby mu dělal kněze.6Izrael byl tenkrát bez krále. Každý si dělal, co chtěl.7V judském Betlémě byl jeden mladý levita, který bydlel v Judově rodu.8Ten muž ale z judského Betléma odešel hledat si jiné místo k bydlení. Přišel do Efraimských hor a doputoval až k Míkovu domu.9„Odkud jdeš?“ zeptal se ho Míka. „Jsem levita z judského Betléma. Hledám si místo k bydlení,“ on na to.10„Zůstaň u mě,“ řekl mu Míka. „Dělej mi otce a kněze za deset šekelů[3] stříbra ročně a k tomu ošacení a stravu.“11A levita u něj ochotně zůstal; ten mladík pak byl pro Míku jako jeden z jeho synů.12Míka ho pověřil, aby mu dělal kněze, a ten levitský mladík bydlel v jeho domě.13Míka si říkal: „Teď ke mně Hospodin určitě bude dobrotivý – vždyť mám za kněze levitu!“
1There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. (Jz 24,33; Sd 17,8; Sd 18,2)2And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 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.” And his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the Lord.” (Rt 3,10; 1S 15,13)3And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” (Ex 20,4; Lv 19,4)4So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. (Iz 46,6)5And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and household gods, and ordained[1] one of his sons, who became his priest. (Gn 31,19; Ex 28,6; Sd 8,27; Sd 17,12; Sd 18,14; Sd 18,17; 1Kr 13,33; Oz 3,4)6In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Dt 12,8; Sd 18,1; Sd 19,1; Sd 21,25)7Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. (Sd 19,1; Rt 1,1; Mi 5,2; Mt 2,1; Mt 2,5)8And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. (Jz 24,33)9And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.”10And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. (Sd 18,19)11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. (Ex 2,21)12And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. (Sd 17,5; Sd 18,30)13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”