< 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.
Na rĩrĩ, matukũ-inĩ macio Isiraeli gũtiarĩ na mũthamaki. Na matukũ-inĩ macio mũhĩrĩga wa Dani nĩwacaragia kũndũ kwao gwa gũtũũra, tondũ matiegwatĩire igai rĩao gatagatĩ-inĩ ka mĩhĩrĩga ya Isiraeli.
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.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ a Dani magĩthuura njamba cia ita ithano kuuma Zora na Eshitaoli ithiĩ igathigaane bũrũri ũcio na ituĩrie ũhoro. Andũ a mũhĩrĩga wa Dani makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi, mũgatuĩrie ũhoro wa bũrũri ũcio.” Andũ acio magĩtoonya bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu na magĩkinya mũciĩ wa Mika kũrĩa maararĩrĩire ũtukũ ũcio.
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?”
Na rĩrĩa maakuhĩrĩirie nyũmba ya Mika, magĩkũũrana mũgambo wa mwanake ũcio Mũlawii; nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩtoonya kuo makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nũũ wakũrehire gũkũ? Nĩ kĩĩ ũreka kũndũ gũkũ? Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte ũkorwo ũrĩ gũkũ?”
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.”
Nake akĩmeera ũrĩa Mika aamwĩkĩire, akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “We nĩanyandĩkĩte na niĩ ndĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai 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.
Nao magĩcooka makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Twagũthaitha ũtũtuĩrĩrie ũhoro kũrĩ Ngai tũmenye kana rũgendo rwitũ nĩrũkũgaacĩra.”
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.”
Nake mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũcio akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi na thayũ. Rũgendo rwanyu nĩ rwĩtĩkĩrĩku nĩ Jehova.”
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.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio atano makiuma kuo na magĩkinya Laishi, kũrĩa maakorire atĩ andũ maatũũraga na thayũ matarĩ na ũgwati, o ta andũ a Sidoni, mategwĩkũũa na mategwĩtigĩra. Na tondũ bũrũri wao ndwarĩ kĩndũ waagaga, maarĩ atongu. Ningĩ maatũũraga kũraya na andũ a Sidoni, na matiatarainie na mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ.
8 And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:
Na rĩrĩa maacookire Zora na Eshitaoli, ariũ a ithe makĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Mũronire atĩa?”
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.
Magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩrai tũthiĩ tũkamatharĩkĩre! Nĩtuonete atĩ bũrũri ũcio nĩ mwega mũno. Anga gũtirĩ ũndũ mũgwĩka? Mũtigatithie gũthiĩ mũkaũtunyane.
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.”
Mwakinya kuo, nĩmũgũkorerera andũ mategwĩkũũa ũgwati o na ũrĩkũ. Bũrũri ũcio nĩ mũnene ũrĩa Ngai aneanĩte moko-inĩ manyu, bũrũri ũtagaga kĩndũ o na kĩrĩkũ.”
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.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ magana matandatũ a kuuma mũhĩrĩga wa Dani, meeohete indo cia mbaara, makiumagara kuuma Zora na Eshitaoli.
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.
Marĩ njĩra-inĩ, makĩamba hema ciao gũkuhĩ na Kiriathu-Jearimu kũu Juda. Nĩkĩo gĩtũmaga handũ hau he mwena wa ithũĩro rĩa Kiriathu-Jearimu heetwo Mahane-Dani nginya ũmũthĩ.
13 From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at the house of Micah,
Kuuma kũu magĩthiĩ na mbere nginya bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu na magĩkinya mũciĩ wa 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.”
Ningĩ andũ acio atano arĩa maathigaanĩte bũrũri ũcio wa Laishi makĩĩra ariũ a ithe atĩrĩ, “Inyuĩ nĩmũũĩ atĩ nyũmba ĩmwe ya ici ĩrĩ na ebodi, na ngai ingĩ cia nyũmba, na mũhianano mũicũhie, na mũhianano wa gũtwekio? Rĩu nĩmwamenya ũrĩa mũgwĩka.”
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.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩtoonya nyũmba ya mwanake ũcio Mũlawii o kũu mũciĩ kwa Mika na makĩmũgeithia.
16 Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.
Nao andũ acio a Dani magana matandatũ meeohete indo cia mbaara makĩrũgama hau kĩhingo-inĩ.
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.
Andũ acio atano arĩa maathigaanĩte bũrũri ũcio magĩtoonya thĩinĩ, makĩoya mũhianano ũrĩa mũicũhie, na ebodi, na ngai icio ingĩ cia nyũmba na mũhianano wa gũtwekio, nake mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai o na andũ acio magana matandatũ meeohete indo cia mbaara maarũgamĩte hau kĩhingo-inĩ.
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?”
Rĩrĩa andũ acio maatoonyire nyũmba ya Mika na makĩoya mũhianano wa gwacũhio, na ebodi, na ngai icio ingĩ cia nyũmba, na mũhianano wa gũtwekio-rĩ, mũthĩnjĩri-ngai ũcio akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa mũreka?”
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?”
Nao makĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Kira ki! Ndũkoige ũndũ. Ũka ũtwarane na ithuĩ, ũtuĩke ithe witũ na mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai witũ. Githĩ ti wega ũgĩtungatĩra rũrĩrĩ na mũhĩrĩga thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli ũrĩ mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, handũ ha gũtungatĩra nyũmba ya mũndũ ũmwe?”
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.
Nake mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũcio agĩkena. Akĩoya ebodi, na ngai iria ingĩ cia nyũmba, na mũhianano ũrĩa mũicũhie, nake agĩthiĩ na andũ acio.
21 And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead of them.
Nao makĩhũndũka magĩthiĩ matongoretio nĩ ciana ciao iria nini na mahiũ mao, na indo ciao.
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.
Rĩrĩa maakorirwo mathiĩte handũ haraaya kuuma nyũmba ya Mika-rĩ, andũ arĩa maatũũraga hakuhĩ na Mika makĩũngana hamwe na magĩkinyĩra andũ acio a Dani.
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?”
O andũ acio makĩmoigagĩrĩria-rĩ, andũ a Dani makĩĩhũgũra makĩũria Mika atĩrĩ, “Kaĩ wona atĩa tondũ weta andũ aku othe marũe?”
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?’”
Akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Muoire ngai iria ndethondekeire, o na mũthĩnjĩri-ngai wakwa, na mwathiĩ. Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩ ngĩrĩ nakĩo? Mwakĩhota atĩa kũũria atĩrĩ, ‘Kaĩ wona atĩa?’”
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.”
Andũ acio a Dani magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Tiga gũkararania na ithuĩ, kana ũtharĩkĩrwo nĩ andũ amwe arĩa me marakara, nawe hamwe na nyũmba yaku mũũrwo nĩ mĩoyo yanyu.”
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.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio a Dani magĩĩthiĩra, nake Mika, ona atĩ maarĩ na hinya mũnene mũno kũmũkĩra, akĩhũndũka agĩcooka mũciĩ.
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.
Ningĩ makĩoya kĩrĩa Mika aathondekete, na mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai wake, magĩthiĩ nginya Laishi, magĩũkĩrĩra andũ maarĩ na thayũ na matekũũaga ũndũ. Makĩmatharĩkĩra na rũhiũ rwa njora na magĩcina itũũra rĩao inene.
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,
Gũtiarĩ na mũndũ wa kũmahonokia tondũ maatũũraga kũraihu na Sidoni na matiatarainie na mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ. Itũũra rĩu inene rĩarĩ gĩtuamba-inĩ kĩrĩa kĩarĩ hakuhĩ na Bethi-Rehobu. Andũ acio a Dani magĩaka itũũra rĩu inene rĩngĩ na magĩthaamĩra kuo.
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.
Makĩrĩĩta Dani o ta ithe wao Dani ũrĩa waciarĩtwo nĩ Isiraeli o na gũtuĩka itũũra rĩu inene rĩetagwo Laishi mbere ĩyo.
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.
Andũ a Dani makĩĩhaandĩra mĩhianano kũu, nake Jonathani mũrũ wa Gerishomu, mũrũ wa Musa, na ariũ ake magĩtuĩka athĩnjĩri-Ngai mũhĩrĩga-inĩ wa Dani nginya hĩndĩ ĩrĩa andũ acio maatahirwo makĩrutwo bũrũri ũcio.
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.
Magĩthiĩ na mbere kũhũthĩra mĩhianano ĩrĩa Mika aathondekete, ihinda rĩrĩa rĩothe nyũmba ya Ngai yarĩ Shilo.

< Judges 18 >