1I Efraims højland boede der en mand ved navn Mika.2En dag sagde han til sin mor: „Jeg hørte, hvordan du forbandede den tyv, der stjal 1100 sølvstykker fra dig. Her er de. Det var mig, der tog dem!” „Må Herren velsigne dig, fordi du sagde det, min søn,” svarede moderen.3Så gav Mika pengene tilbage til hende. Da sagde moderen: „De her sølvstykker vil jeg indvi til Herren. Jeg vil få lavet et afgudsbillede af dem og en støbt statuette, som du skal have, min søn.”4Så tog hun 200 sølvstykker og gav dem til sølvsmeden, som lavede et gudebillede og en gudestatuette. Da de var færdige, blev de overdraget til Mika.5Han fik lavet et gudehus til sine afgudsbilleder. Han lavede også nogle små husguder af træ og en efod, hvorefter han indviede en af sine sønner til at være præst.6På den tid var der ingen konge i Israel, og folk gjorde, hvad de fandt for godt.7-8En dag kom en ung levit til Mikas hus i Efraims højland. Han havde boet som fremmed i Betlehem i Judastammens område og var nu på udkig efter et nyt sted at slå sig ned.9„Hvor kommer du fra?” spurgte Mika. „Jeg er levit og kommer fra Betlehem i Juda,” svarede den unge mand. „Jeg er ved at se mig om efter et nyt sted at bo.”10„Hvis du vil blive her, kan du blive vejleder og præst hos mig,” foreslog Mika. „Jeg vil give dig ti sølvstykker om året plus tøj og kost og logi.”11Den unge mand tog imod tilbuddet og boede derefter hos Mika, der behandlede ham som sin egen søn.12Desuden indsatte Mika ham til at være sin personlige præst.13„Nu er jeg sikker på, at Herren vil velsigne mig!” udbrød Mika. „For jeg har jo en rigtig levit som præst ved mit gudehus!”
1There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. (Josva 24,33; Dom 17,8; Dom 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.” (Ruth 3,10; 1.Sam 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.” (2.Mos 20,4; 3.Mos 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. (Es 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. (1.Mos 31,19; 2.Mos 28,6; Dom 8,27; Dom 17,12; Dom 18,14; Dom 18,17; 1.Kong 13,33; Hos 3,4)6In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (5.Mos 12,8; Dom 18,1; Dom 19,1; Dom 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. (Dom 19,1; Ruth 1,1; Mika 5,2; Matt 2,1; Matt 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. (Josva 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. (Dom 18,19)11And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. (2.Mos 2,21)12And Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. (Dom 17,5; Dom 18,30)13Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”