士師記 17
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
米迦的神像
17 以法蓮山區住了一個名叫米迦的人。 2 他對母親說：「你那一千一百塊銀子丟了，我還聽見你咒詛小偷。看啊，銀子在我這裡，是我拿去的。」他母親說：「我兒啊，願耶和華賜福給你！」 3 米迦把一千一百塊銀子還給母親。他母親說：「我要為你把這些銀子獻給耶和華，用來雕刻、鑄造神像。現在這銀子還是你的。」 4 米迦把銀子還給母親後，他母親拿出二百塊銀子交給銀匠雕刻、鑄造神像，放在米迦的房子裡。 5 米迦有一個神廟，他製造了一件以弗得和一些家庭神像，並指派他的一個兒子做祭司。 6 那時，以色列沒有王，人人各行其是。
7 猶大的伯利恆住著一個年輕的利未人。 8 他離開伯利恆想到別的地方居住，一路走到以法蓮山區米迦的家。 9 米迦問他：「你從哪裡來？」他回答說：「我是從猶大 伯利恆來的利未人，我要找一個住的地方。」 10 米迦說：「你就住在我這裡吧，做我的師父和祭司。我每年給你十塊銀子，還為你提供衣服和膳食。」利未人就進了米迦的家， 11 住了下來。米迦待他就像待自己的兒子一樣。 12 這樣，米迦派他做祭司，讓他住在自己家裡。 13 米迦說：「現在我有一個利未人做我的祭司，耶和華一定會賜福給我。」
Judges 17
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Spirit of the Times: Bad Priests, Bad People
Micah’s Idol
17 There was a man from the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah. 2 He said to his mother, “You know that eleven hundred shekels of silver[a] which were taken from you, about which you spoke a curse that I heard—Look! I have the silver. I took it.”
His mother said, “May my son be blessed by the Lord.”
3 Micah returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother.
Then his mother said, “The silver that I received from my son I solemnly dedicate to the Lord to make a cast and engraved idol[b] for my son’s benefit.[c] So now I will return it to you.”[d]
4 He returned the silver to his mother, and his mother gave two hundred shekels of silver to the silversmith, who made them into a cast and engraved idol, which was placed in the house of Micah.
5 This man Micah had a “house of God,” where he placed a special priestly vest and a household god and where he ordained[e] one of his sons as his own priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel, and every man did whatever was right in his own eyes.
A Renegade Priest
7 Meanwhile, there was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, a city which belonged to a clan of Judah. He was a Levite, but he resided in Bethlehem even though he was not a Judean.[f] 8 This man left the city—Bethlehem of Judah—to take up residence wherever he could find a place to stay. As he went on his way, he came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim.
9 Micah said to him, “Where did you come from?”
He answered, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to take up residence wherever I can find a place to stay.”
10 Micah said to him, “Stay with me! Be a father and a priest to me. I will give you ten shekels of silver a year, an allowance for your clothing, and your food.”
So the Levite went with him. 11 The Levite was willing to stay with the man, and he became like one of his sons. 12 Micah ordained the Levite, so the young man became his priest and lived in Micah’s house.
13 Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will treat me well, because I have this Levite as my priest.”
Footnotes
- Judges 17:2 The Hebrew text reads one thousand one hundred ___ of silver without specifying a unit of measure. It probably refers to a collection of scrap silver that weighed eleven hundred shekels. Coins were not yet in use at this time.
- Judges 17:3 The Hebrew text has two distinct nouns meaning a cast idol and an engraved idol. The singular pronouns in the next verse seem to indicate that at this time only one idol, which was cast and engraved, was made from the silver. However, Judges 18:17-18 does refer to more than one idol.
- Judges 17:3 Literally the silver for the Lord from my hand for my son. There are several difficulties of text and translation in this section.
- Judges 17:3 Some translations move this sentence to verse 2, where it becomes a statement of Micah to his mother. Left here in verse 3, where the Hebrew text places it, it is a statement made by the mother about the gift of the idol(s) to Micah.
- Judges 17:5 Literally filled the hand of. The same expression is used for Moses’ ordination of priests. The same term occurs in verse 12.
- Judges 17:7 Literally resided as an alien. The term ger often refers to an alien from a different ethnic group. Here, however, it refers to an “alien” from a different tribe.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.