AbAhluleli 17

₁Kwakukhona umuntu wasezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi ogama lakhe lalinguMika. ₂Yena 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.”

₃Wabuyisela 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.”

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

₅Lowo muntu uMika wayenendlu enawonkulunkulu, wenza ingubo yamahlombe namatherafi,* wahlukanisela enye indodana yakhe ibe ngumpristi wakhe. ₆Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli; yilowo nalowo wenza okulungile emehlweni akhe.

₇Kwakukhona insizwa yaseBetlehema Juda yomndeni wakwaJuda eyayingumLevi; yayigogobele khona. ₈Lowo muntu wamuka emzini, iBetlehema Juda, ukuyobona lapho engathola khona indawo; ekuhambeni kwakhe wafika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi endlini kaMika.

₉UMika wathi kuye: “Uvelaphi na?”

Wathi kuye: “NgingumLevi waseBetlehema Juda; ngiyahamba ukubona lapho ngingathola khona indawo.”

₁₀UMika wayesethi kuye: “Hlala kimi, ube ngubaba nompristi wami, ngiyakukunika izinhlamvu eziyishumi zesiliva ngomnyaka, nesambatho, nokudla kwakho.” UmLevi wangena. ₁₁UmLevi wavuma ukuhlala kulowo muntu; nensizwa yaba kuye njengendodana yakhe. ₁₂UMika wayesahlukanisela umLevi, leyo nsizwa yaba ngumpristi wakhe, yahlala endlini kaMika. ₁₃Wayesethi uMika: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi uJehova uyakungenzela okuhle, lokhu nginomLevi ongumpristi wami.”