< Mpitsara 18 >

1 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.
In those days there was no king in Israel. The tribe of the descendants of Dan was looking for a territory to live in, for up to that day they had not received any inheritance from among the tribes of Israel.
2 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.
The people of Dan sent five men from the whole number of their tribe, men who were experienced warriors from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to scout the land on foot, and to look it over. They said to them, “Go and look over the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they spent the night there.
3 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?
When they were near Micah's house, they recognized the speech of the young Levite. So they stopped and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 Dia hoy kosa izy taminy: Izany ka izany no nataon’ i Mika tamiko, ary efa nanamby ahy izy, ka efa mpisorony aho izao.
He said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me to become his priest.”
5 Dia hoy izy ireo taminy: Masìna ianao, manontania amin’ Andriamanitra mba ho fantatray na hambinina amin’ ny lalana alehanay izahay, na tsia.
They said to him, “Please seek the advice of God, so we may know whether the journey we are going on will be successful.”
6 Dia hoy ilay mpisorona taminy: Mandehana soa aman-tsara; fa eo anatrehan’ i Jehovah izao lalana alehanareo izao.
The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Yahweh will lead you in the way you should go.”
7 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.
Then the five men left and came to Laish, and they saw that the people were living in safety, in the same way the Sidonians lived, undisturbed and secure. There was no one who conquered them or who oppressed them in any way in the land. They lived far away from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
8 Dia nandeha ho any amin’ ny rahalahiny any Zora sy Estaola ireo; ary hoy ny rahalahiny taminy: Naninona moa ianareo?
They returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What is your report?”
9 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.
They said, “Come! Let us attack them! We have seen the land and it is very good. Are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to attack and conquer the land.
10 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.
When you go, you will come to a people who think they are secure, and the land is wide! God has given it to you—a place that does not lack anything in the land.”
11 Dia nisy niainga avy tamin’ ny fokon’ i Dana, avy tany Zora sy Estaola, dia enin-jato lahy efa voaomana tamin’ ny fiadiany.
Six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
12 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).
They went up and camped at Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. This is why people called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; it is west of Kiriath Jearim.
13 Dia niala tao izy ka nandroso nantany amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Efraima, dia tonga tao an-tranon’ i Mika.
They went away from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 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.
Then the five men who had gone to scout the country of Laish said to their relatives, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved figure, and a cast metal figure? Decide now what you will do.”
15 Dia nivily tao izy ka tonga tao an-tranon’ ilay Levita zatovo, dia tao an-tranon’ i Mika, ka niarahaba azy.
So they turned in there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the house of Micah, and they greeted him.
16 Ary ny enin-jato lahy efa voaomana tamin’ ny fiadiany, izay avy tamin’ ny taranak’ i Dana, dia nijanona teo anoloan’ ny vavahady.
Now the six hundred Danites, armed with weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.
17 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.
The five men who had gone to scout out the land went there and they took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, while the priest stood by the opening of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18 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?
When these went into Micah's house and took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 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?
They said to him, “Be quiet! Put your hand on your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?”
20 Dia faly ny fon’ ilay mpisorona, ka nalainy ny efoda sy ny terafima ary ny sarin-javatra voasokitra, ary nandeha voahodidin’ ny olona izy.
The priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved figure, and went along with the people.
21 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.
So they turned and went away. They put the small children in front of themselves, as well as the cattle and their possessions.
22 Ary rehefa lasa lavitra ny tranon’ i Mika izy, dia nivory ny lehilahy nifanolo-bodirindrina tamin’ i Mika ka nahatratra ny taranak’ i Dana.
When they were a good distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called together, and they caught up with the Danites.
23 Dia niantso ny taranak’ i Dana izy. Ary niherika ireo ka nanao tamin’ i Mika hoe: Haninona ianao, no nanangona olona maro toy izao?
They shouted to the Danites, and they turned and said to Micah, “Why have you been called together?”
24 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?
He said, “You stole the gods that I made, you have taken my priest, and you are leaving. What else do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What is bothering you?'”
25 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.
The people of Dan said to him, “You should not let us hear you say anything, or some very angry men will attack you, and you and your family will be killed.”
26 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.
Then the people of Dan went their way. When Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 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.
The people of Dan took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and they came to Laish, to a people who were undisturbed and secure and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city.
28 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.
There was no one to rescue them because it was a long way from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that is near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 Ary ny anaran’ ny tanàna nataony hoe Dana, araka ny anaran’ i Dana rainy, izay naterak’ Isiraely; kanefa Laisy no anaran’ ny tanàna taloha.
They named the city Dan, the name of Dan their ancestor, who was one of Israel's sons. But the name of the city used to be Laish.
30 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.
The people of Dan set up the carved figure for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the day of the land's captivity.
31 Ary nampitoeriny ho azy ilay sarin-javatra voasokitra nataon’ i Mika mandritra ny andro rehetra niorenan’ ny tranon’ Andriamanitra tao Silo.
So they worshiped Micah's carved figure that he made as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

< Mpitsara 18 >