IINKOKHELI 17

₁Kwakukho ndoda ithile igama linguMika. Yayimi kweleentaba kwaEfrayim. ₂Yathetha nonina, yathi: “Ngokuya wawubelwe ishumi elinanye leesiliva ndakuva ushwabula. Kambe ke ikum loo mali; yathathwa ndim.”

Unina wamsikelela, wathi: “*UNdikhoyo makakuthamsanqele, nyana wam.”

₃Waza ke unyana lowo wayibuyisela kunina loo mali. Ke yena unina wathi: “Le mali ngoku yekaNdikhoyo; ndiyinikezela kuye ukuze unyana wam aqingqe umfanekiso, utyatyekwe ngesiliva, kwanomfanekiso otyhidiweyo. Ngoko ke le siliva ndiyibuyisela kwakuwe.”

₄Imali leyo wayibuyisela kunina ke, yena wathatha amakhulu amabini kuloo siliva, wawanika ingcibi, eyakrola umfanekiso otyatyekwe ngesiliva, yenza nomnye otyhidiweyo. Wabekwa endlwini kaMika.

₅Lo mfo unguMika ke wayenesibingelelo sakhe. Wenza imifanekiso eqingqiweyo ndawonye *nesidanga, waza wamisela omnye koonyana bakhe wangumbingeleli. ₆Ke kaloku ngelo thuba kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli; umntu ngamnye wayesenza unothanda.

₇Kwangelo thuba kwakukho umfana womLevi owayehlala eBhetelehem engumngeneleli kwelakwaJuda. ₈Waphuma ke eBhetelehem, efuna indawo anokuxhwarha kuyo. Esabhadula njalo waya kugaleleka kwaMika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim. ₉UMika wambuza wathi: “Uvela phi?”

Ke yena waphendula wathi: “NdingumLevi waseBhetelehem kwelakwaJuda. Ndifuna indawo endingaxhwarha kuyo.”

₁₀UMika wathetha naye ke, wathi: “Sowuhlala apha kum, ube ngumfundisi nombingeleli wam; ndiya kukuhlawula ngeshumi leesiliva ngonyaka, ndawonye nempahla yokunxiba nokutya.” ₁₁UmLevi lowo ke wavumelana noMika, waza wahlala naye, waba njengonyana wakhe. ₁₂UMika wammisela waba ngumbingeleli wakhe, wahlala apho kwakhe. ₁₃UMika wathi: “Njengokuba umbingeleli wam engumLevi nje, ndiyazi ukuba uNdikhoyo uya kundithi jize ngenkqubela.”