< Judges 18 >

1 In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
Mu biro ebyo Isirayiri teyalina kabaka. Era mu biro ebyo ekika ky’Abadaani baali banoonya ekifo aw’okubeera kubanga mu bika bya Isirayiri baali tebafunanga kifo kya kubeeramu ng’omugabo gwabwe.
2 So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
Kyebaava batuma abaana ba Ddaani bataano, abasajja abalwanyi, okuva mu kika kyabwe kyonna, okuva mu Zola ne mu Esutaoli, bagende bakette ensi. Ne babagamba nti, “Mugende mukebere ensi.” Ne batuuka mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu mu nnyumba ya Mikka ne basula eyo.
3 And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
Bwe baali eyo okumpi n’ennyumba ya Mikka ne beetegereza eddoboozi ly’omuvubuka Omuleevi, ne bakyama ne bamubuuza nti, “Ani eyakuleeta wano? Era okola ki wano? Era lwaki oli wano?”
4 “Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
N’abategeeza Mikka bye yamukolera, n’abagamba nti, “Yampangisa era ndi kabona we.”
5 Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
Ne bamugamba nti, “Tukwegayiridde, kaakano weebuuze ku Katonda, obanga olugendo lwe tugenda luliba n’omukisa.”
6 And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
Awo kabona n’abaddamu nti, “Mugende mirembe, kubanga Mukama Katonda asiimye mugende ku lugendo lwammwe.”
7 So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
Awo abasajja abataano ne bava awo, ne batuuka e Layisi, ne balaba ng’abantu baayo bali mirembe ng’Abasidoni bwe baali. Baali bakkakkamu, nga balina buli kye beetaaga mu nsi, era nga beesudde akabanga n’Abasidoni, nga tewali muntu n’omu gwe bakolagana naye.
8 When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
Awo abakessi bwe baddayo eri baganda baabwe e Zola n’e Esutaoli, baganda baabwe ne bababuuza nti, “Bigenze bitya?”
9 They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
Ne baddamu nti, “Mugolokoke, tubalumbe. Tulabye ensi, era laba, nga nnungi nnyo. Temuyinza butagenda. Temulwa, tugende tulye ensi.
10 When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
Bwe mulituuka eyo muliraba abantu abakkakkamu ababeera mu nsi engazi, Katonda gy’atadde mu mukono gwammwe, era nsi erimu buli kintu omuntu kye yeetaaga.”
11 So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
Awo ekika ky’Abadaani ne basitula okuva e Zola n’e Esutaoli, abasajja lukaaga nga balina ebyokulwanyisa.
12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
Ne bagenda ne basiisira okumpi ne Kiriyasuyalimu mu Yuda. Ekifo ekyo ne bakituuma Makanedani era kye kiyitibwa n’okutuusa leero.
13 And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
Ne bava awo ne balaga mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu ne batuuka ku nnyumba ya Mikka.
14 Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
Abasajja abataano abaagenda okuketta ensi ya Layisi ne bagamba baganda baabwe nti, “Mumanyi nga mu nnyumba zino mulimu Efodi n’ebifaananyi ebyole n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse? Kale nno mukole kye mugwanira okukola.”
15 So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
Ne bakyama ne bagenda mu nnyumba y’omuvubuka Omuleevi eyali ewa Mikka ne bamulamusa.
16 The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
Abasajja olukaaga nga balina ebyokulwanyisa byabwe ne bayimirira ku mulyango.
17 And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
Awo abasajja abataano abaagenda okuketta ne bayingira ne baggyamu ekifaananyi ekyole, ne Efodi, ne balubaale abaali mu nnyumba n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse, nga kabona n’abasajja olukaaga nga balina ebyokulwanyisa byabwe bayimiridde ku mulyango.
18 When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
Abasajja bwe bayingira mu nnyumba ya Mikka okuggyamu ekifaananyi ekyole, ne Efodi, ne balubaale abaali mu nnyumba n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse, kabona n’ababuuza nti, “Mukola ki?”
19 “Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
Ne bamuddamu nti, “Sirika tonyega. Jjangu naffe obeere kitaffe era kabona waffe. Kiki ekisinga, ggwe okuba kabona w’ennyumba y’omuntu omu, oba okuba kabona w’ekika kya Isirayiri?”
20 So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
Kabona n’asanyuka, n’atwala Efodi ne balubaale abaali mu nnyumba n’ekifaananyi ekyole n’agenda nabo.
21 Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
Ne babaako we bakyama ne balekayo abaana baabwe abato n’ebisolo byabwe n’ebintu byabwe. Ne bagenda mu maaso.
22 After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
Bwe batambulako akabanga okuva ku nnyumba ya Mikka, abasajja abaabeeranga mu nnyumba eziriraanye ennyumba ya Mikka ne bakuŋŋaana ne bawondera abaana ba Ddaani.
23 When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
Bwe baali babakoowoola, abaana ba Ddaani ne bakyuka ne batunuulira Mikka ne bamubuuza nti, “Mutukoowoolera ki?”
24 He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
N’abaddamu nti, “Mututte balubaale bange be neekolera, ne kabona. Kiki kye nsigazza? Muyinza mutya okumbuuza kye mbadde?”
25 The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
Abaana ba Ddaani ne bamuddamu nti, “Sitwagala kuwulira ddoboozi lyo, si kulwa ng’abasajja abakambwe abali mu ffe bakulumba n’ofiirwa obulamu bwo n’obw’abo ab’omu nnyumba yo.”
26 So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
Awo abaana ba Ddaani ne beetambulira. Awo Mikka bwe yalaba nga bamuyinze amaanyi, n’akyuka n’addayo ewuwe.
27 After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
Ne batwala ebintu Mikka bye yali akoze, ne kabona gwe yalina, ne batuuka e Layisi omwali abantu abakkakkamu abatamanyiridde, ne bakilumba ne batta abantu baamu n’ekitala, n’ekibuga ne bakikumako omuliro.
28 There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
Tewaaliwo eyajja okubataasa kubanga ne Sidoni kyali wala n’ekibuga ekyo, ate nga tebalina nkolagana na muntu yenna. Ekibuga kyali mu kiwonvu ekiriraanye Besulekobu. Abaddaani ne bazimba buto ekibuga ne babeera omwo.
29 They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
Ekibuga ne bakikyusa erinnya okuva ku Layisi lye kyayitibwanga olubereberye ne bakituuma Ddaani, ng’erinnya lya Ddaani jjajjaabwe eyazaalibwa Isirayiri bwe lyali.
30 The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
Awo abaana ba Ddaani ne beeterawo ekifaananyi ekyole, ne balonda Yonasaani mutabani wa Gerusomu, muzzukulu wa Musa, ne batabani be okuba bakabona eri ekika ky’Abadaani okutuusa ensi lwe yawambibwa.
31 So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
Ne bassaawo ebifaananyi ebyole Mikka bye yali yeekoledde, ebbanga lyonna ennyumba ya Katonda we yabeerera mu Siiro.

< Judges 18 >