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.
Fia aɖeke menɔ Israel ɣe ma ɣi o. Dan ƒe to la nɔ teƒe aɖe dim be yewoanɔ elabena womenya amewo ɖa le anyigba si woma na wo la dzi haɖe o
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.
eya ta Dan ƒe to la tia kalẽtɔ atɔ̃ tso Zora kple Estaol duwo me be woayi aɖatsa ŋku le anyigba si dzi wodi be yewoanɔ la dzi. Esi wova ɖo Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi la, wodze Mika ƒe aƒe me.
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?”
Wolé to ɖe Levitɔ la ƒe gbegbɔgblɔ ŋu eye woɖe kpɔe hebiae be, “Nɔvi, nu ka wɔm nèle le afi sia? Afi ka nètso?”
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.”
Egblɔ dɔ si wɔm wòle na Mika abe eƒe nunɔla ene la na wo.
5 So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
Wobia tso esi be, “Ekema bia Mawu be mɔ si dzi míele la adze edzi na mí mahã?”
6 The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
Nunɔla la ɖo eŋu be, “Miyi le ŋutifafa me, Yehowa le mia ta kpɔm.”
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).
Ale ame atɔ̃awo yi Lais du la me eye wokpɔ ale si ameawo le dedie le afi mae, abe Sidontɔwo ene. Woɖe dzi ɖi bɔkɔɔ, wometsi dzi be dukɔ aɖeke aho aʋa ɖe yewo ŋu o elabena dukɔ sesẽ aɖeke menɔ nuto me ma o. Woƒe nɔƒe didi tso wo nɔvi Sidontɔwo gbɔ eye womedea ha kple du siwo te ɖe wo ŋu la o.
8 When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
Ale ŋkutsalawo trɔ yi wo nɔviwo gbɔ le Zora kple Estaol. Wobia wo be, “Aleke miedee eye nu kawo miekpɔ?”
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!
Ŋkutsalawo ɖo eŋu be, “Mina míaho aʋa ɖe wo ŋu! Míekpɔ anyigba la: enyo ŋutɔ. Migawɔ kuvia le anyigba la xɔxɔ ŋu o.
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.”
Ne mieyi la, miakpɔ be ameawo le ŋutifafa me, anyigba la nyo eye wòlolo. Naneke mahiã mí le anyigba la dzi o, Mawu tsɔ anyigba la de asi na mí xoxo!”
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
Ale ŋutsu alafa ade tso Dan ƒe to la me bla akpa eye wodze mɔ tso Zora kple Estaol.
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.
Gbã la, woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe teƒe aɖe si nɔ Kiriat Yearim ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe lɔƒo le Yudanyigba dzi. Woyɔa teƒe sia egbegbe be, “Maham” si gɔmee nye “Dan ƒe Asaɖa.”
13 From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
Tso afi ma wolia to la yi Efraim to la ƒe anyigba dzi.
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]
Esi wova to Mika ƒe aƒe ŋu yina la, ŋkutsala atɔ̃awo gblɔ na wo nɔviwo be, “Kɔmewu, aƒeli, aklamakpakpɛ kple legbawo le aƒe sia me. Eme kɔ ƒãa be mienya nu si wòle be miawɔ!”
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].
Ale woge ɖe Levitɔ ɖekakpui la ƒe aƒe me le Mika ƒe teƒe hedo gbe nɛ.
16 The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
Ame alafa ade tso Dan ƒe to la me, ame siwo bla akpa na aʋawɔwɔ la tsi tsitre ɖe agbo la nu.
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.
Ŋkutsala atɔ̃awo ge ɖe xɔ la me eye wolɔ aklamakpakpɛawo, kɔmewu la, aƒeli la kple legba la esime nunɔla la nɔ agbo la nu kple asrafo alafa ade siwo kpla woƒe aʋawɔnuwo.
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?”
Esi Levitɔ la kpɔ be wotsɔ nu siawo la, ebia wo be, “Nu ka wɔm miele?”
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]
Wogblɔ nɛ be, “Zi ɖoɖoe, mègagblɔ nya aɖeke o. Dze mía yome eye nànye fofo kple nunɔla na mí katã. Ɖe menyo be nànye nunɔla na Israel ƒe to blibo ɖeka wu nànye nunɔla na ame ɖeka pɛ ko ƒe aƒe oa?”
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.
Levitɔ la lɔ̃ be yeayi kpli wo, ale wòtsɔ kɔmewu la, aƒedomemawuwo kple aklamakpakpɛwo hedze wo yome.
21 They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
Wotsɔ woƒe viwo, woƒe lãhawo kple woƒe nunɔamesiwo ɖo ŋgɔ eye wotrɔ hedzo.
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.
Esi wogblẽ Mika ƒe aƒe ɖe megbe ʋɛe ko la, ŋutsu siwo nye Mika ƒe aƒelikawo la ƒo wo ɖokui nu ƒu eye wosi du va tu Dan ƒe viwo.
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]?”
Esi wole ɣli dom le wo yome la Dan ƒe viwo trɔ gblɔ na Mika be, “Nu kae le wɔwòm be nèyɔ wò amewo be woawɔ avu kpli mí?”
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?’”
Eɖo eŋu na wo be, “Mietsɔ mawu siwo mewɔ kple nye nunɔla dzoe. Nu kae gasusɔ ɖe asinye? Nu ka ŋutie miabiam be, ‘Nu kae le wɔwòm mahã?’”
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!”
Dan ƒe to la ɖo eŋu be, “Mègahe nya kpli mí o, ne menye nenema o la, ame siwo doa dziku kabakaba la dometɔ aɖewo adze mia dzi eye wò kple wò aƒe miabu miaƒe agbe.”
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.
Ale Dan ƒe to la gaho ɖe edzi eye esi Mika kpɔ be ameawo sẽ wu ye akpa ta la, etrɔ dzo yi aƒe me.
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.
Dan to la tsɔ Mika ƒe legbawo eye wokplɔ eƒe nunɔla la va ɖo Lais. Lais dua me tɔwo nɔ anyi le ŋutifafa me eye womenya be naneke le dzɔdzɔm o. Wodze wo dzi kple yi eye wotɔ dzo woƒe dua.
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.
Kpeɖeŋutɔ aɖeke menɔ anyi axɔ na wo o elabena woƒe teƒea didi tso Sidon gbɔ eye womedo ka kple ame bubu aɖekewo hã o. Du la nɔ balime si te ɖe Bet Rehob ŋu. Dan ƒe to la gbugbɔ du la tu nyuie eye wònɔ afi ma.
29 They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
Woyɔa du la tsã be Lais, ke Dan ƒe to la tsɔ wo fofo, Dan, Israel viŋutsu ƒe ŋkɔ nɛ.
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].
Wowɔ teƒe na legbawo eye wowɔ Gersom ƒe vi kple Mose ƒe tɔgbuiyɔvi, ame si ŋkɔe nye Yonatan la kple via ŋutsuwo nunɔlawoe. Amewo tso ƒome sia me nye nunɔlawo va se ɖe esime woɖe aboyo anyigba la.
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.
Ale Dan ƒe to la subɔ Mika ƒe legbawo ŋkeke ale si Mawu ƒe agbadɔ la nɔ Silo.
