< Judges 18 >

1 At that time the Israelis had no king. Also at that time, the tribe of Dan was still searching for some land where they could live. The other Israeli tribes had [been able to] ([capture/take possession of]) [the] land that had been allotted to them, but the tribe of Dan had not been able to do that.
Ary tamin’ izany andro izany dia tsy nisy mpanjaka teo amin’ ny Isiraely; ary tamin’ izany andro izany kosa ny firenen’ i Dana nitady lova mba honenany, satria na dia hatramin’ izany andro izany aza dia tsy mbola nahazo lova ho azy teo amin’ ny firenen’ Isiraely izy.
2 So they chose five soldiers from their clans, men who lived in Zorah and Eshtaol [cities], to go through the land and explore it [and try to find some land where their tribe could live]. They came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived, and they stayed there that night.
Ary ny taranak’ i Dana naniraka dimy lahy nofantenany avy amin’ ny fokony rehetra, dia lehilahy mahery, avy tany Zora sy Estaola, mba hisafo ny tany sy hizaha ny toetrany; ary hoy izy taminy: Mandehana izahao ny toetry ny tany. Ary tonga tany amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Efraima tao an-tranon’ i Mika izy, dia nandry tao.
3 While they were in his house and they heard the young man who had become Micah’s priest talking, they recognized from (his accent/the way that he talked) [that he was from the southern part of Israel]. So they went to him and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why did you come here?”
Rehefa mby teo akaikin’ ny tranon’ i Mika izy, dia fantany ny feon’ ilay Levita zatovo; dia nivily teo izy ka nanao taminy hoe: Iza no nitondra anao tatỳ? ary maninona atỳ ianao? ary inona no anananao atỳ?
4 He told them the things that Micah had done for him. And he said, “Micah (has hired me/is paying me to work for him), and I have become his priest.”
Dia hoy kosa izy taminy: Izany ka izany no nataon’ i Mika tamiko, ary efa nanamby ahy izy, ka efa mpisorony aho izao.
5 So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
Dia hoy izy ireo taminy: Masìna ianao, manontania amin’ Andriamanitra mba ho fantatray na hambinina amin’ ny lalana alehanay izahay, na tsia.
6 The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
Dia hoy ilay mpisorona taminy: Mandehana soa aman-tsara; fa eo anatrehan’ i Jehovah izao lalana alehanareo izao.
7 [The next day] the five men left. When they came to Laish [city], they saw that the people there lived safely, like the people in Sidon [city] did. The people there thought that they were safe/protected [from any enemies], and they had plenty of [good fertile] land. They lived very far from the people of Sidon, [so the people of Sidon would not be able to help defend/protect them]. They had no other (allies/groups nearby that would help them in battles).
Dia nandeha izy dimy lahy ka tonga tany Laisy, ary hitany ny olona tao, fa nonina tsy nanana ahiahy tahaka ny fanaon’ ny Sidoniana izy, dia nandry fahizay ka tsy nanana ahiahy, sady tsy nisy mpanapaka hampahory azy teo amin’ ny tany na amin’ inona na amin’ inona; ary lavitra ny Sidoniana izy sady tsy nanan-draharaha tamin’ olona akory.
8 When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
Dia nandeha ho any amin’ ny rahalahiny any Zora sy Estaola ireo; ary hoy ny rahalahiny taminy: Naninona moa ianareo?
9 They replied, “We have found some land, and it is very good. We should go and attack the people [who live there]. Why are you staying here and doing nothing [RHQ]? Do not wait any longer! We should go immediately and take possession of that land!
Dia hoy izy: Mitsangàna, ka aoka isika hiakatra hamely azy; fa efa nahita ny tany izahay, fa, indro, tsara indrindra izany; moa mbola mijanonjanona ihany va ianareo? aza malain-kandeha hiditra handova ny tany.
10 When you go there, you will see that there is plenty of land, and it has everything [that we will need]. The people there are not expecting anyone to attack them. Surely God is giving that land to us.”
Raha mandeha ianareo, dia ho tonga any amin’ ny olona tsy manana ahiahy sy any amin’ ny tany malalaka; fa efa natolotr’ Andriamanitra ho eo an-tananareo izany; dia tany tapi-javatra irina atỳ ambonin’ ny tany.
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
Dia nisy niainga avy tamin’ ny fokon’ i Dana, avy tany Zora sy Estaola, dia enin-jato lahy efa voaomana tamin’ ny fiadiany.
12 On their way they set up their tents near Kiriath-Jearim [city] in [the area where the tribe of] Judah [lives]. That is why the area west of Kiriath-Jearim was named ‘Camp of Dan’, and that is still its name.
Ary niakatra ireo ka nitoby tany Kiriata-jearima any Joda (izany no nanaovana ny anaran’ izany tany izany hoe mandraka androany Mahane-dana; indro, eo andrefan’ i Kiriata-jearima izany).
13 From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
Dia niala tao izy ka nandroso nantany amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Efraima, dia tonga tao an-tranon’ i Mika.
14 The five men who had explored the land near Laish said to their fellow Israelis, “Do you know that in one of these houses there is a sacred vest, several idols, and a statue? [We think that] you know what you should do.” [RHQ]
Ary niteny izy dimy lahy, izay nandeha hisafo ny tany Laisy, ka nanao tamin’ ny rahalahiny hoe: Fantatrareo va fa ato amin’ ireto trano ireto misy efoda sy terafima ary sarin-javatra voasokitra sy sarin-javatra an-idina? koa hevero izay hataonareo.
15 So they went to the house where the man from the tribe of Levi lived, which was the house where Micah lived, and they greeted the young man from the tribe of Levi [who had become Micah’s priest].
Dia nivily tao izy ka tonga tao an-tranon’ ilay Levita zatovo, dia tao an-tranon’ i Mika, ka niarahaba azy.
16 The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
Ary ny enin-jato lahy efa voaomana tamin’ ny fiadiany, izay avy tamin’ ny taranak’ i Dana, dia nijanona teo anoloan’ ny vavahady.
17 The five men who had explored the land went into Micah’s house, and took all the idols, the sacred vest, and the statue. While they did that, the 600 men stood outside the gate, [talking] with the priest.
Ary niakatra izy dimy lahy, izay nandeha hisafo ny tany, dia niditra ka naka ny sarin-javatra voasokitra sy ny efoda sy ny terafima ary ny sarin-javatra an-idina; ary ny mpisorona mbamin’ ny enin-jato lahy efa voaomana tamin’ ny fiadiany nijanona teo anoloan’ ny vavahady.
18 When the priest saw them bringing out the idols and the sacred vest and the statue, he said to them, “What are you doing?”
Dia niditra tao an-tranon’ i Mika ireo ka naka ny sarin-javatra voasokitra sy ny efoda sy ny terafima ary ny sarin-javatra an-idina. Ary hoy ny mpisorona taminy: Maninona ianareo?
19 They replied, “Be quiet! Do not say anything! You come with us and be [like] a father to us and a priest for us. Is it better for you to [stay here and] be a priest for the people in the house of one man, or to be a priest for a clan, and a priest for a whole tribe of Israelis?” [RHQ]
Dia hoy ireo taminy: Mangìna ianao, tampeno ny tananao ny vavanao, ka andeha hiaraka aminay, dia ho rainay sy mpisoronay ianao; moa tsara ho anao va ny ho mpisorona ho an’ ny olona iray trano noho ny ho mpisorona amin’ ny firenena iray sy ny foko iray amin’ ny Isiraely?
20 The priest liked what they were suggesting. So he took the sacred vest and the idols, and he [prepared to] go with the men from the tribe of Dan.
Dia faly ny fon’ ilay mpisorona, ka nalainy ny efoda sy ny terafima ary ny sarin-javatra voasokitra, ary nandeha voahodidin’ ny olona izy.
21 They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
Dia nihodina izy ireo ka lasa nandeha; ary ny zaza amim-behivavy sy ny omby aman’ ondry mbamin’ ny entany tsara dia nataony teo alohany.
22 After they had gone a little distance from Micah’s house, Micah [saw what was happening. He] quickly summoned the men who lived near him, and they ran and caught up with the men from the tribe of Dan.
Ary rehefa lasa lavitra ny tranon’ i Mika izy, dia nivory ny lehilahy nifanolo-bodirindrina tamin’ i Mika ka nahatratra ny taranak’ i Dana.
23 They shouted at them. The men of the tribe of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is the problem? Why have you gathered these men [to pursue us]?”
Dia niantso ny taranak’ i Dana izy. Ary niherika ireo ka nanao tamin’ i Mika hoe: Haninona ianao, no nanangona olona maro toy izao?
24 Micah shouted, “You took the silver idols that were made for me! You also took my priest! I do not have anything left [RHQ]! So why do you ask me, ‘What is the problem?’”
Ary hoy Izy: Ny andriamanitro izay nataoko sy ny mpisorona koa dia nalainareo, ka lasa ianareo; koa inona intsony no mba ho ahy? Ary ahoana no anaovanareo amiko hoe: Haninona ianao?
25 The men from the tribe of Dan replied, “You should not shout loudly like that! One of our angry men might attack you and kill you and your family!”
Dia hoy ny taranak’ i Dana taminy: Aoka tsy ho re eto aminay intsony ny feonao, fandrao hisy olo-masiaka hamely anareo, ka dia hanao izay hahafaty ny tenanao sy ny ankohonanao ianao.
26 Then the men from the tribe of Dan continued walking. Micah realized that there was a very large group of them, [so that it would be useless for him to try to fight them]. So he turned around and went home.
Dia nandeha tamin’ ny nalehany ny taranak’ i Dana; ary rehefa hitan’ i Mika fa ireo dia nahery noho izy, dia niverina izy ka nody tany an-tranony.
27 The men of the tribe of Dan were carrying the things that had been made for Micah, and they also took his priest, and they continued traveling to Laish. They attacked the people who were peacefully living there, and killed them with their swords, and then they burned everything in the city.
Ary izy ireo naka izay zavatra efa nataon’ i Mika sy ny mpisorona izay tao aminy, dia nankany Laisy ho any amin’ ny olona mandry fahizay ka tsy manana ahiahy, dia namely azy tamin’ ny lelan-tsabatra ireo; ary ny tanàna nodorany tamin’ ny afo.
28 Laish was far from [the city of] Sidon, [so the people of Sidon could not rescue the people of Laish]. And the people of Laish had no other allies. Laish was in a valley near Beth-Rehob [town]. The people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the city and started to live there.
Ary tsy nisy namonjy, satria lavitra an’ i Sidona izany, ary tsy nanan-draharaha tamin’ olona akory izy, sady teo amin’ ny lohasaha izay any Beti-rehoba izany. Dia nanorina ny tanàna izy ireo ka nonina tao.
29 They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
Ary ny anaran’ ny tanàna nataony hoe Dana, araka ny anaran’ i Dana rainy, izay naterak’ Isiraely; kanefa Laisy no anaran’ ny tanàna taloha.
30 The people of the tribe of Dan set up [in the city] the idols [that had been made for Micah]. Jonathan, who was the son of Gershom and the grandson of Moses, was appointed to be their priest. His descendants continued to be priests until the Israelis were captured and taken [to Assyria].
Dia natsangan’ ny taranak’ i Dana ilay sarin-javatra voasokitra; ary Jonatana, zanak’ i Gersoma, zanak’ i Mosesy, sy ny zanany, no mpisorona ho an’ ny firenen’ i Dana hatramin’ ny andro namaboana ny tany.
31 After the people of the tribe of Dan set up the idols that had been made for Micah, [they worshiped those idols, even though] the Sacred Tent [where they had been commanded to worship] God, was at Shiloh.
Ary nampitoeriny ho azy ilay sarin-javatra voasokitra nataon’ i Mika mandritra ny andro rehetra niorenan’ ny tranon’ Andriamanitra tao Silo.

< Judges 18 >