1 N a i te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima tetahi tangata, ko Mika tona ingoa.

There was a man of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.

2 N a ka mea ia ki tona whaea, Ko nga hiriwa kotahi tekau ma tahi rau i tangohia ra i a koe, te mea i kanga ra koe, i korero ai hoki koe ki oku taringa, nana, kei ahau aua hiriwa; naku i tango. Na ka mea tona whaea, Ma Ihowa koe e manaaki, e taku ta ma.

He said to his mother, “There were 1, 100 pieces of silver taken from you. And I heard you pray that the robber would be cursed. See, the silver is with me. I took it.” His mother said, “May the Lord bring good to you, my son.”

3 N a ka whakahokia e ia nga hiriwa kotahi tekau ma tahi rau ki tona whaea, a ka mea tona whaea; Ka whakatapua rawatia e ahau te hiriwa ma Ihowa, he mea na toku ringa ma taku tama, hei hanga whakapakoko, he mea whaowhao, he mea whakarewa. Na, me wha kahoki atu e ahau ki a koe inaianei.

He returned the 1, 100 pieces of silver to his mother. And she said, “I set apart all the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son. It is to be used in making an object to look like a god. So I will return the silver to you.”

4 N a, i tana whakahokinga i te moni ki tona whaea, ka tango tona whaea i nga pihi hiriwa e rua rau, a hoatu ana ki te kaiwhakarewa, a nana i hanga tetahi whakapakoko whaowhao me tetahi mea whakarewa; na ka takoto aua mea ki te whare o Mika.

When he returned the silver to his mother, she gave 200 pieces to the man who works with silver. He made them into an object to look like a god for Micah’s house.

5 N a he whare atua to taua tangata, to Mika, i hanga ano he epora e ia, me etahi terapimi, a i whakatohungatia hoki e ia tetahi o ana tama, a meinga ana hei tohunga mana.

The man Micah had a special building where gods were worshiped. He made a holy vest and gods for the house. And he set apart one of his sons to be his religious leader.

6 I aua ra kahore o Iharaira kingi; ko ta ratou i mea ai ko nga mea i tika ki te titiro a tenei, a tenei.

There was no king in Israel in those days. Each man did what he thought was right.

7 N a tera tetahi taitama o Peterehema Hura, o te hapu o Hura, he Riwaiti, a i reira ano ia e noho ana.

Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah. He was a Levite, of the family of Judah, and he was staying there.

8 N a ka haere atu taua tangata i te pa, i Peterehema Hura, kia noho ki tana wahi e kite ai: a, i a ia e haere ana, ka tae ia ki te whenua pukepuke o Eparaima, ki te whare o Mika.

He left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to find a place to live. As he traveled he came to the house of Micah in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 N a ka mea a Mika ki a ia, I haere mai koe i hea? A ka mea ia ki a ia, He Riwaiti ahau no Peterehema Hura, a e haere ana ahau kia noho ki taku wahi e kite ai.

Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” He answered, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. I am going to stay where I may find a place.”

10 N a ka mea a Mika ki a ia, E noho ki ahau, a hei matua koe moku, hei tohunga hoki, a kia tekau nga kiriwa e hoatu e ahau ki a koe i te tau, kia kotahi ano te whakaritenga kakahu, me te kai ano mau. Na ka tomo atu te Riwaiti.

Then Micah said to him, “Live with me. Be a father and a religious leader to me. I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, new clothes, and your living.” So the Levite went in.

11 A pai tonu te Riwaiti kia noho ki taua tangata; a ka meinga taua taitamariki e ia kia rite ki tetahi o ana tama.

The Levite agreed to live with the man. And the young man was like a son to Micah.

12 N a whakatohungatia ana e Mika taua Riwaiti, a ka waiho taua taitama hei tohunga mana, a noho ana i roto i te whare o Mika.

So Micah set apart the Levite. The young man became his religious leader and lived in Micah’s house.

13 N a ka mea a Mika, Katahi ahau ka mohio ka atawhaitia ahau e Ihowa, ina hoki ka riro mai nei te Riwaiti hei tohunga moku.

Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will bring good to me because I have a Levite as my religious leader.”