Jueces 17

1Vivía un hombre en la montaña de Efraím que se llamaba Micas;

2el cual dijo a su madre: “Los mil cien siclos de plata que te fueron robados, en cuya ocasión proferiste maldiciones, oyéndolas también yo, mira, ese dinero tengo yo; yo lo tomé.” Y le dijo su madre: “¡Bendito seas de Yahvé, hijo mío!”

3Devolvió entonces los mil cien siclos de plata a su madre. Y dijo su madre: “Yo de mi parte destino este dinero para Yahvé en favor de mi hijo, para que se haga una imagen, una estatua de fundición. Y así te lo devuelvo.”

4Habiendo él devuelto el dinero a su madre tomó esta doscientos siclos de plata, y los dio al fundidor; el cual hizo una imagen, una estatua de fundición, que quedó en casa de Micas.

5Así un hombre como Micas tuvo una casa de Dios; pues hizo también un efod y unos terafim, y consagró a uno de sus hijos que le sirvió de sacerdote.

6En aquel tiempo no había rey en Israel, sino cada cual hacía lo que mejor le parecía.

7Había un joven de Betlehem de Judá, de la tribu de Judá, que era levita y habitaba allí como forastero.

8Este hombre partió de la ciudad de Betlehem de Judá, para hallar un lugar donde vivir, y en su viaje llegó a la montaña de Efraím, a casa de Micas.

9Micas le preguntó: “¿De dónde vienes?” Le contestó: “Soy un levita de Betlehem de Judá, y voy de camino a fin de hallar un lugar dónde vivir.”

10Le dijo: “Quédate conmigo y sé mi padre y sacerdote. Te daré diez siclos de plata al año, vestido completo y comida.” El levita entró,

11y consintió en habitar con aquel hombre, para quien el joven era como uno de sus hijos.

12Micas consagró al levita, y el joven vino a ser su sacerdote y se quedó en casa de Micas.

13Entonces dijo Micas: “Ahora sé que Yahvé me bendecirá, porque tengo este levita por sacerdote.”

1Fuit eo tempore vir quidam de monte Ephraim nomine Michas,

2qui dixit matri suæ: Mille et centum argenteos, quos separaveras tibi, et super quibus me audiente juraveras, ecce ego habeo, et apud me sunt. Cui illa respondit: Benedictus filius meus Domino.

3Reddidit ergo eos matri suæ, quæ dixerat ei: Consecravi et vovi hoc argentum Domino, ut de manu mea suscipiat filius meus, et faciat sculptile atque conflatile: et nunc trado illud tibi.

4Reddidit igitur eos matri suæ: quæ tulit ducentos argenteos, et dedit eos argentario, ut faceret ex eis sculptile atque conflatile, quod fuit in domo Michæ.

5Qui ædiculam quoque in ea deo separavit, et fecit ephod, et theraphim, id est, vestem sacerdotalem, et idola: implevitque unius filiorum suorum manum, et factus est ei sacerdos.

6In diebus illis non erat rex in Israël, sed unusquisque quod sibi rectum videbatur, hoc faciebat.

7Fuit quoque alter adolescens de Bethlehem Juda, ex cognatione ejus: eratque ipse Levites, et habitabat ibi.

8Egressusque de civitate Bethlehem, peregrinari voluit ubicumque sibi commodum reperisset. Cumque venisset in montem Ephraim, iter faciens, et declinasset parumper in domum Michæ,

9interrogatus est ab eo unde venisset. Qui respondit: Levita sum de Bethlehem Juda, et vado ut habitem ubi potuero, et utile mihi esse perspexero.

10Dixitque Michas: Mane apud me, et esto mihi parens ac sacerdos: daboque tibi per annos singulos decem argenteos, ac vestem duplicem, et quæ ad victum sunt necessaria.

11Acquievit, et mansit apud hominem, fuitque illi quasi unus de filiis.

12Implevitque Michas manum ejus, et habuit puerum sacerdotem apud se:

13Nunc scio, dicens, quod benefaciet mihi Deus habenti Levitici generis sacerdotem.

1There was at that time a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Michas,

2Who said to his mother: The eleven hundred pieces of silver, which thou hadst put aside for thyself, and concerning which thou didst swear in my hearing, behold I have, and they are with me. And she said to him: Blessed be my son by the Lord.

3So he restored them to his mother, who said to him: I have consecrated and vowed this silver to the Lord, that my son may receive it at my hand, and make a graven and a molten god, so now I deliver it to thee.

4And he restored them to his mother: and she took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith, to make of them a graven and a molten god, which was in the house of Michas.

5And he separated also therein a little temple for the god, and made an ephod, and theraphim, that is to say, a priestly garment, and idols: and he filled the hand of one of his sons, and he became his priest.

6In those days there was no king in Israel, but every one did that which seemed right to himself.

7There was also another young man of Bethlehem Juda, of the kindred thereof: and he was a Levite, and dwelt there.

8Now he went out from the city of Bethlehem, and desired to sojourn wheresoever he should find it convenient for him. And when he was come to mount Ephraim, as he was on his journey, and had turned aside a little into the house of Michas,

9He was asked by him whence he came. And he answered: I am a Levite of Bethlehem Juda, and I am going to dwell where I can, and where I shall find a place to my advantage.

10And Michas said: Stay with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee every year ten pieces of silver, and a double suit of apparel, and thy victuals.

11He was content, and abode with the man, and was unto him as one of his sons.

12And Michas filled his hand, and had the young man with him, for his priest, saying:

13Now I know God will do me good, since I have a priest of the race of the Levites.