Judges 18
1 In those days, there was no king in Israel. And the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves, so that they might live in it. For even to that day, they had not received their lot among the other tribes.
Masiku amenewo munalibe mfumu mu Israeli. Ndipo anthu a fuko la Dani amafunafuna malo okhalamo ngati cholowa chawo, chifukwa kufikira nthawi imeneyo anali asanalandire cholowa chawo pakati pa mafuko a Israeli.
2 Therefore, the sons of Dan sent five very strong men, of their stock and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, so that they might explore the land and diligently inspect it. And they said to them, “Go, and consider the land.” And after traveling, they arrived at mount Ephraim, and they entered into the house of Micah. There they rested.
Choncho fuko la Dani linatumiza kuchokera ku mabanja awo onse anthu olimba mtima asanu. Anthuwa anachokera ku Zora ndi ku Esitaoli ndipo anatumidwa kukazonda ndi kuliyendera dzikolo. Anthu amenewa ankayimira fuko lonse la Dani. Anthuwa anawawuza kuti, “Pitani mukazonde dzikolo.” Anthuwa anafika ku dziko la mapiri la Efereimu ndi kupita ku nyumba ya Mika komwe anakagona.
3 And they recognized the speech of the youth who was a Levite. And while making use of an inn with him, they said to him: “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? For what reason did you want to come here?”
Ali ku nyumba ya Mika anazindikira mawu a mnyamata, Mlevi uja. Choncho anapita kwa iye namufunsa kuti, “Unabwera ndi ndani kuno? Nanga ukuchita chiyani ku malo ano? Komanso nʼchifukwa chiyani uli kuno?”
4 And he answered them, “Micah has offered me one thing and another, and he has paid me wages, so that I may be his priest.”
Iye anawawuza zimene Mika anamuchitira ndipo anati, “Iye anandilemba ntchito ndipo ndine wansembe wake.”
5 Then they begged him to consult the Lord, so that they might be able to know whether the journey they undertook would be prosperous, and whether the matter would have success.
Kenaka iwo anati kwa iye, “Chonde tifunsire kwa Mulungu kuti tidziwe ngati ulendo wathuwu tiyende bwino.”
6 And he responded to them, “Go in peace. The Lord looks with favor on your path, and on the journey that you have undertaken.”
Wansembeyo anawayankha kuti, “Pitani mu mtendere, Yehova ali ndi inu pa ulendo wanuwu.”
7 And so the five men, going on, arrived at Laish. And they saw the people, living in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and peaceful, having hardly anyone to oppose them, and with great wealth, and living separately, far from Sidon and from all men.
Choncho anthu asanuwo ananyamuka ndipo anafika ku Laisi, kumene anaona kuti anthu ankakhala mwabata monga anthu a ku Sidoni. Anali anthu opanda chowavuta ndiponso aphee. Tsono popeza mʼdziko mwawo analibe chosowa, iwo anali a chuma. Anaonanso kuti anthuwo ankakhala kutali ndi Sidoni ndipo analibe ubale ndi wina aliyense.
8 And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:
Ozonda dziko aja atabwerera kwa abale awo ku Zora ndi Esitaoli, abale awowo anawafunsa kuti, “Mwaonako zotani?”
9 “Rise up. Let us ascend to them. For we have seen that the land is very wealthy and fruitful. Do not delay; do not refrain. Let us go out and possess it. There will be no difficulty.
“Tiyeni tikamenyane nawo nkhondo popeza taliona dziko lawolo kuti ndi lachonde kwambiri. Kodi simuchitapo kanthu? Musachite mphwayi kupita mʼdzikomo ndi kukalilanda.
10 We shall enter to those who dwell securely, in a very wide region, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, a place in which there is no lack of anything that grows upon the earth.”
Mukalowa, mukapeza anthu amene ali osatekeseka ndi dziko lalikulu. Yehova wakupatsani dziko limeneli. Malowo ngosasowa kanthu kalikonse kopezeka pa dziko lapansi.”
11 And so, those of the kindred of Dan set out, that is, six hundred men from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with the weapons of warfare.
Kenaka anthu 600 a fuko la Dani ananyamuka ku Zora ndi Esitaoli atanyamula zida za nkhondo.
12 And going up, they stayed at Kiriath-jearim of Judah. And so the place, from that time, received the name the Camp of Dan, and it is behind the back of Kiriath-jearim.
Tsono anakamanga msasa ku Kiriati-Yearimu mʼdziko la Yuda. Malowa ali kumadzulo kwa Kiriati-Yearimu. Ichi ndi chifukwa chake malowo akutchedwa Mahane Dani mpaka lero.
13 From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at the house of Micah,
Kuchokera kumeneko anapita ku dziko lamapiri la Efereimu ndipo anafika ku nyumba ya Mika.
14 the five men, who before had been sent to consider the land of Laish, said to the rest of their brothers: “You know that in these houses there is an ephod and theraphim, and a molten idol and a graven image. Consider what it may please you to do.”
Anthu asanu amene anakazonda dziko la Laisi anati kwa abale awo, “Kodi mukudziwa kuti imodzi mwa nyumba izi muli efodi, mafano a mʼnyumba otchedwa terafimu, fano losema ndiponso fano lokuta ndi siliva? Ndiye mudziwe chochita.”
15 And when they had turned aside a little, they entered the house of the Levite youth, who was in the house of Micah. And they greeted him with peaceful words.
Choncho anthuwa anapatuka napita ku nyumba ya Mika kumene mnyamata, Mlevi uja ankakhala ndipo anamufunsa za mmene zinthu zilili.
16 Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.
Nthawi imeneyi nʼkuti anthu 600 a fuko la Dani aja atayima pa chipata atanyamula zida za nkhondo.
17 But those who had entered the house of the youth strove to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. But the priest was standing in front of the door, with the six hundred very strong men waiting not far away.
Anthu asanu amene anakazonda dziko aja analowa ndi kukatenga fano losema, efodi, fano la mʼnyumba lotchedwa terafimu, ndi fano lokutidwa ndi siliva. Nthawiyi nʼkuti wansembe uja ndi anthu 600 okhala ndi zida za nkhondo aja ali chiyimire pa chipata.
18 And so, those who had entered took away the graven image, the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. And the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
Anthuwo atalowa mʼnyumba ya Mika ndi kutenga fano losema, efodi, fano la mʼnyumba, ndi fano lokutidwa ndi siliva, wansembeyo anawafunsa kuti, “Kodi mukuchita chiyani?”
19 And they responded to him: “Be silent and place your finger over your mouth. And come with us, so that we may have you as a father as well as a priest. For which is better for you: to be a priest in the house of one man, or in one tribe and family in Israel?”
Iwo anamuyankha kuti, “Khala chete usayankhule. Tsagana nafe ndipo udzakhala mlangizi wathu ndi wansembe wathu. Kodi si kwabwino kwa iwe kukhala wansembe wa fuko lonse la Israeli mʼmalo mokhala wansembe wa munthu mmodzi yekha?”
20 And when he had heard this, he agreed to their words. And he took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven image, and he set out with them.
Wansembeyo anakondwera ndipo anatenga efodi, fano la mʼnyumba ndi fano losema natsagana nawo.
21 And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead of them.
Choncho iwo anatembenuka nachoka, atatsogoza ana, zoweta ndi katundu wawo yense.
22 And when they were far from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses of Micah, crying out together, followed them.
Atayenda mtunda pangʼono kuchokera pa nyumba ya Mika, anthu amene amakhala pafupi ndi nyumba ya Mika anasonkhana kulondola a fuko la Dani aja, ndipo anawapeza.
23 And they began to shout behind their backs. And when they had looked back, they said to Micah: “What do you want? Why are you crying out?”
Atawafuwulira, a fuko la Dani aja anachewuka ndipo anafunsa Mika kuti, “Chavuta nʼchiyani kuti usonkhanitse anthu chotere?”
24 And he responded: “You have taken away my gods, which I made for myself, and the priest, and all that I have. And do you say, ‘What is it that you want?’”
Iye anayankha kuti, “Inu mwanditengera milungu imene ndinapanga pamodzi ndi wansembe nʼkumapita. Tsono ine ndatsala ndi chiyani? Ndiye inu mungafunse kuti chavuta nʼchiyani?”
25 And the sons of Dan said to him, “Take care that you no longer speak to us, otherwise men with a mind for violence may overwhelm you, and you yourself would perish with all your house.”
Anthu a fuko la Dani aja anayankha kuti, “Usayankhuleponso kanthu chifukwa anthu awa angapse mtima nakumenya ndipo iwe ndi banja lako lonse nʼkutayapo miyoyo yanu.”
26 And so, they continued on the journey that they had begun. But Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, returned to his house.
Choncho anthu a fuko la Dani anapitiriza ulendo wawo. Mika ataona kuti anthuwo anali amphamvu kuposa iye, anangotembenuka kubwerera kwawo.
27 Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned the city with fire.
Anthu a fuko la Dani aja anatenga zinthu zimene Mika anapanga pamodzi ndi wansembe uja. Iwo anakafika ku Laisi kwa anthu a phee, osatekeseka aja ndipo anawathira nkhondo, nawapha ndi kutentha mzindawo ndi moto.
28 For no one at all sent reinforcements, because they lived far away from Sidon, and they had no association or business with any man. Now the city was situated in the region of Rehob. And building it up again, they lived in it,
Panalibe wowapulumutsa chifukwa anali kutali ndi Sidoni ndiponso sanali pa ubale ndi wina aliyense. Mzindawo unali mʼchigwa cha Beti-Rehobu. Anthu a fuko la Adaniwo anawumanganso mzindawo ndi kumakhalamo.
29 calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, who had been born of Israel, though before it was called Laish.
Iwo anawutcha mzindawo Dani, kutengera dzina la kholo lawo Dani, amene anali mwana wa Israeli, ngakhale kuti mzindawo poyamba unali Laisi.
30 And they established for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, with his sons, were priests in the tribe of Dan, even until the day of their captivity.
Anthu a fuko la Dani anayimiritsa fano losema lija. Yonatani mwana wa Geresomu, mwana wa Mose pamodzi ndi ana ake onse anakhala ansembe a fuko la Dani mpaka pa tsiku la ukapolo wa dzikolo.
31 And the idol of Micah remained with them during the entire time that the house of God was in Shiloh. In those days, there was no king in Israel.
Choncho anthu a fuko la Dani ankapembedza fano limene Mika anapanga nthawi yonse pamene nyumba ya Mulungu inali ku Silo.
