AbAhluleli 17 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

UMika nendlu yakhe yezithombe

¹ Kwakukhona umuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ogama lakhe lalinguMika.

² Yena wathi kunina: “Lezo zinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane nekhulu zesiliva ezathathwa kuwe, owaziqalekisa, wakhuluma ngazo ezindlebeni zami, bheka, leyo mali ikimi; ngayithatha.” Unina wathi: “Mayibusiswe nguJehova indodana yami.”

³ Wabuyisela kunina lezo zinhlamvu eziyinkulungwane nekhulu zesiliva; unina wathi: “Ngiyangcwelisa impela leli siliva kuJehova esandleni sami, libe ngelendodana yami ukuba kwenziwe isithombe esibaziweyo nesibunjiweyo; manje ngiyakulibuyisela kuwe.”

⁴ Kepha walibuyisela isiliva kunina, unina wathatha izinhlamvu ezingamakhulu amabili zesiliva, wazinika umkhandi wesiliva owenza ngazo isithombe esibaziweyo nesibunjiweyo; zase zihlala endlini kaMika.

⁵ Lowo muntu uMika wayenendlu enawonkulunkulu, wenza ingubo yamahlombe namatherafi,* wahlukanisela enye indodana yakhe ibe ngumpristi wakhe.

⁶ Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli; yilowo nalowo wenza okulungile emehlweni akhe.

⁷ Kwakukhona insizwa yaseBetlehema Juda yomndeni wakwaJuda eyayingumLevi; yayigogobele khona.

⁸ Lowo muntu wamuka emzini, iBetlehema Juda, ukuyobona lapho engathola khona indawo; ekuhambeni kwakhe wafika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi endlini kaMika.

⁹ UMika wathi kuye: “Uvelaphi na?” Wathi kuye: “NgingumLevi waseBetlehema Juda; ngiyahamba ukubona lapho ngingathola khona indawo.”

¹⁰ UMika wayesethi kuye: “Hlala kimi, ube ngubaba nompristi wami, ngiyakukunika izinhlamvu eziyishumi zesiliva ngomnyaka, nesambatho, nokudla kwakho.” UmLevi wangena.

¹¹ UmLevi wavuma ukuhlala kulowo muntu; nensizwa yaba kuye njengendodana yakhe.

¹² UMika wayesahlukanisela umLevi, leyo nsizwa yaba ngumpristi wakhe, yahlala endlini kaMika.

¹³ Wayesethi uMika: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi uJehova uyakungenzela okuhle, lokhu nginomLevi ongumpristi wami.”