Judges 17

1 Now a man named Micah from the hill country of Ephraim

1 En la región montañosa de Efraín vivía un hombre llamado Micaías.

2 said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”

2 Un día le dijo a su madre: ―Aquellas mil cien monedas de plata que te habían robado, y por las cuales echaste una maldición contra el ladrón delante de mí, yo las robé. ―Dios te bendiga por confesarlo —respondió su madre—,

3 And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”

3 y él le devolvió el dinero. ―Lo voy a consagrar al Señor a favor tuyo. Con él haremos un ídolo fundido y tallado.

4 So he returned the silver to his mother, and she took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into a graven image and a molten idol. And they were placed in the house of Micah.

4 Tomó, pues, doscientas monedas y se las llevó a un platero, y el ídolo que hizo fue colocado en un santuario que Micaías hizo.

5 Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some household idols, and ordained one of his sons as his priest.

5 Micaías, que tenía muchos ídolos en su colección y tenía también un efod y terafines, instaló a uno de sus hijos en el cargo de sacerdote.

6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

6 En aquellos días no había rey en Israel y cada uno hacía lo que quería.

7 And there was a young Levite from Bethlehem in Judah who had been residing within the clan of Judah.

7–8 Un día llegó a aquel lugar un joven levita sacerdote de Belén que buscaba un buen lugar para vivir, y acertó a detenerse en la casa de Micaías.

8 This man left the city of Bethlehem in Judah to settle where he could find a place. And as he traveled, he came to Micah’s house in the hill country of Ephraim.

9 “Where are you from?” Micah asked him. “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah,” he replied, “and I am on my way to settle wherever I can find a place.”

9 ―¿De dónde vienes? —preguntó Micaías. Y le respondió: ―Soy levita de Belén de Judá, y estoy buscando un lugar para vivir.

10 “Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in

10–11 ―Bien, quédate conmigo —dijo Micaías— y serás mi sacerdote y te respetaré como a un padre. Te daré diez monedas de plata por año, ropa y comida. Al joven le agradó la propuesta y pasó a ser como uno de los hijos de Micaías.

11 and agreed to stay with him, and the young man became like a son to Micah.

12 Micah ordained the Levite, and the young man became his priest and lived in his house.

12 Entonces Micaías lo consagró para que fuera su sacerdote personal.

13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will be good to me, because a Levite has become my priest.”

13 «Ahora sí que el Señor me ha de bendecir —exclamó Micaías—, porque tengo un sacerdote de verdad, ¡un levita!».