Abahluleli 18
1 Ngalezonsuku u-Israyeli wayengelankosi. Njalo ngalezonsuku abosendo lukaDani babedinga indawo engeyabo, lapho ababengahlala khona, ngoba babengakabi sendaweni eyilifa labo phakathi kwezizwana zako-Israyeli.
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 Ngakho abakoDani bathuma amabutho amahlanu avela eZora lase-Eshithawoli ukuyahlola ilizwe lokulibona. Amadoda la ayemele zonke insendo zakibo. Zathi kubo, “Hambani liyehlola ilizwe.” Amadoda lawo angena elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi ayafika endlini kaMikha, lapho alala khona.
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 Kwathi eseseduze lendlu kaMikha alazi ilizwi lejaha elingumLevi; ngakho aphendukela khona alibuza athi, “Ngubani owakuletha lapha? Wenzani kule indawo? Ufunani lapha?”
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 Lawatshela elalikwenziwe nguMikha, laselisithi, “Ungiqatshile njalo ngingumphristi wakhe.”
He said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me to become his priest.”
5 Asesithi kulo, “Ake usibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuthi uhambo lwethu luzaphumelela na.”
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 Umphristi wawaphendula wathi, “Hambani ngokuthula. Uhambo lwenu luvunyelwe nguThixo.”
The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Yahweh will lead you in the way you should go.”
7 Ngakho amadoda amahlanu lawo asuka aya eLayishi, lapho abona ukuthi abantu bakhona babezihlalele bevikelekile njengamaSidoni, belokuthula njalo bevikelekile. Njalo babehlezi khatshana lamaSidoni njalo bengelabuhlobo lomunye umuntu.
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 Esebuyele eZora lase-Eshithawoli, abafowabo bawabuza bathi, “Libone kunjani?”
They returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What is your report?”
9 Aphendula athi, “Phangisani, kasibahlaseleni! Sibonile ukuthi ilizwe lelo lihle kakhulu. Kaliyikwenza lutho na? Lingazilazili ukuya khonale lilithathe.
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 Ekufikeni khonale lizathola abantu abanganqinekeli lutho lelizwe elibanzi uNkulunkulu aselifake ezandleni zenu, ilizwe elingasweli lutho.”
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 Lapho-ke amadoda osendo lwakoDani angamakhulu ayisithupha ahlomela ukulwa, asesuka eZora kanye le-Eshithawoli.
Six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
12 Ekuhambeni kwawo amisa izihonqo eduze leKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi koJuda. Yikho-nje indawo esentshonalanga kweKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ithiwa yiMahane Dani kuze kube lamhla.
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 Esuka lapho aya elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi afika endlini kaMikha.
They went away from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 Amadoda amahlanu ayehambe ukuyahlola ilizwe leLayishi athi kubafowabo bakoDani, “Liyakwazi yini ukuthi enye yalezizindlu ilesembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini, lesithombe esihuqwe ngesiliva? Khathesi selikwazi okumele likwenze.”
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 Ngakho-ke aphambukela khona aya endlini yejaha elingumLevi koMikha, alibingelela.
So they turned in there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the house of Micah, and they greeted him.
16 AbakoDani abangamakhulu ayisithupha, ababehlomele ukulwa, bema entubeni yesango.
Now the six hundred Danites, armed with weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.
17 Abahlanu ababeyehlola ilizwe bangena phakathi bathatha isithombe esibaziweyo, lesembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini, umphristi lamadoda ahlomileyo angamakhulu ayisithupha bemi entubeni yesango.
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 Kwathi amadoda la esengene endlini kaMikha athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, lesembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini kanye lesithombe esibunjiweyo, umphristi wathi kubo, “Lenzani na?”
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 Amphendula athi, “Thula! Ungatsho lutho. Woza uhambe lathi, ube ngubaba lomphristi wethu. Akungcono yini ukuthi usebenzele isizwana losendo lwako-Israyeli njengomphristi kulabendlu yomuntu oyedwa?”
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 Umphristi wathokoza. Wathatha isembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini kanye lesithombe esibaziweyo wahamba labantu.
The priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved figure, and went along with the people.
21 Sebefake abantwababo abancane, lezifuyo zabo kanye lempahla zabo phambi kwabo, baphenduka bahamba.
So they turned and went away. They put the small children in front of themselves, as well as the cattle and their possessions.
22 Sebehambe isibanga esithize besuka endlini kaMikha, abantu ababehlala eduzane lendlu kaMikha babizelwa ndawonye baxhuma abakoDani.
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 Kwathi bebamemeza, abakoDani baphendula bathi kuMikha, “Kungani ubize abantu bakho ukuba balwe?”
They shouted to the Danites, and they turned and said to Micah, “Why have you been called together?”
24 Yena waphendula wathi, “Lithethe onkulunkulu engabenzayo lomphristi wami, lahamba. Kuyini okunye engilakho? Lingangibuza kanjani lisithi, ‘Uhlutshwa yini na?’”
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 AbakoDani baphendula bathi, “Ungaphikisani lathi, hlezi abanye abantu abalolaka bakuhlasele, kuthi wena labendlu yakho lilahlekelwe yikuphila kwenu.”
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 Ngakho abakoDani bazihambela, kwathi uMikha ebona ukuthi babelamandla kakhulu kulaye, waphenduka wabuyela emzini wakhe.
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 Bathatha okwakwenziwe nguMikha, lomphristi wakhe, baya eLayishi, ebantwini ababelokuthula njalo bengethuki lutho. Babahlasela ngenkemba batshisa ledolobho labo.
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 Kakho owayengabahlenga ngoba babehlezi khatshana kakhulu leSidoni bengelabuhlobo lamuntu. Idolobho lalisesigodini eduze leBhethi-Rehobhi. AbakoDani balakha kutsha idolobho lelo bahlala kulo.
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 Balibiza ngokuthi yiDani ibizo likakhokho wabo uDani, owayezalwa ngu-Israyeli, lanxa idolobho lalikade lithiwa yiLayishi.
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 AbakoDani bazimisela izithombe khona, njalo uJonathani indodana kaGeshomu, indodana kaMosi, lamadodana akhe babengabaphristi besizwana sikaDani kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sokuthunjwa kwelizwe.
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 Baqhubeka basebenzisa izithombe ezazenziwe nguMikha, ngasosonke isikhathi indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.
So they worshiped Micah's carved figure that he made as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
