Judges 18
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days the tribe of the Danites was looking for an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them among the tribes of Israel.
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 The people of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valor, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said to them, "Go, explore the land." They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and stayed there.
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 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; and they turned in that direction, and said to him, "Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? And what is your business 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 He said to them, "Thus and so has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest."
Iye anawawuza zimene Mika anamuchitira ndipo anati, “Iye anandilemba ntchito ndipo ndine wansembe wake.”
5 They said to him, "Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."
Kenaka iwo anati kwa iye, “Chonde tifunsire kwa Mulungu kuti tidziwe ngati ulendo wathuwu tiyende bwino.”
6 The priest said to them, "Go in peace. The LORD will watch over you on your journey."
Wansembeyo anawayankha kuti, “Pitani mu mtendere, Yehova ali ndi inu pa ulendo wanuwu.”
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people who were there, and how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority that might trouble them in anyway, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with Aram.
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 They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, "What do you say?"
Ozonda dziko aja atabwerera kwa abale awo ku Zora ndi Esitaoli, abale awowo anawafunsa kuti, “Mwaonako zotani?”
9 They said, "Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have entered and journeyed in the land as far as Laish, and we saw the people how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, and they were far from the Sidonians, and they had no dealings with Aram. But arise, and let us go up against them; for we have seen the land, and look, it is very good. Will you do nothing? Do not hesitate to go and to enter in to possess the land.
“Tiyeni tikamenyane nawo nkhondo popeza taliona dziko lawolo kuti ndi lachonde kwambiri. Kodi simuchitapo kanthu? Musachite mphwayi kupita mʼdzikomo ndi kukalilanda.
10 When you go, you shall come to a secure people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no want of anything that is on the earth."
Mukalowa, mukapeza anthu amene ali osatekeseka ndi dziko lalikulu. Yehova wakupatsani dziko limeneli. Malowo ngosasowa kanthu kalikonse kopezeka pa dziko lapansi.”
11 Then the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men armed with weapons of war, set forth from there.
Kenaka anthu 600 a fuko la Dani ananyamuka ku Zora ndi Esitaoli atanyamula zida za nkhondo.
12 They went up, and camped in Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; look, it is behind 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 They passed there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
Kuchokera kumeneko anapita ku dziko lamapiri la Efereimu ndipo anafika ku nyumba ya Mika.
14 Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered, and said to their brothers, "Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and an engraved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have 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 They turned aside there, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even to the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
Choncho anthuwa anapatuka napita ku nyumba ya Mika kumene mnyamata, Mlevi uja ankakhala ndipo anamufunsa za mmene zinthu zilili.
16 The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the people of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
Nthawi imeneyi nʼkuti anthu 600 a fuko la Dani aja atayima pa chipata atanyamula zida za nkhondo.
17 The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
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 these went into Micah's house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. 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 They said to him, "Hold your peace, lay your hand on your mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a 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 The priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the engraved image, and the molten image, and went in the midst of the people.
Wansembeyo anakondwera ndipo anatenga efodi, fano la mʼnyumba ndi fano losema natsagana nawo.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the livestock and the goods before them.
Choncho iwo anatembenuka nachoka, atatsogoza ana, zoweta ndi katundu wawo yense.
22 They were some distance from the house of Micah, and look, Micah and the men who were in the houses near Micah's house gathered together and overtook the people of Dan.
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 They cried to the people of Dan. They turned their faces, and said to Micah, "What's wrong with you, that you come with such a company?"
Atawafuwulira, a fuko la Dani aja anachewuka ndipo anafunsa Mika kuti, “Chavuta nʼchiyani kuti usonkhanitse anthu chotere?”
24 He said, "You have taken away my gods which I made for myself, and the priest, and have gone away, and what more do I have? How then do you say to me, 'What's wrong with you?'"
Iye anayankha kuti, “Inu mwanditengera milungu imene ndinapanga pamodzi ndi wansembe nʼkumapita. Tsono ine ndatsala ndi chiyani? Ndiye inu mungafunse kuti chavuta nʼchiyani?”
25 The people of Dan said to him, "Do not let your voice be heard among us, or angry men will attack you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household."
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 The people of Dan went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
Choncho anthu a fuko la Dani anapitiriza ulendo wawo. Mika ataona kuti anthuwo anali amphamvu kuposa iye, anangotembenuka kubwerera kwawo.
27 They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and struck them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt 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 There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone, and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city, and lived there.
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 They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel. However the name of the city was originally Laish.
Iwo anawutcha mzindawo Dani, kutengera dzina la kholo lawo Dani, amene anali mwana wa Israeli, ngakhale kuti mzindawo poyamba unali Laisi.
30 The people of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the exile from the land.
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 So they set up for themselves Micah's engraved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Choncho anthu a fuko la Dani ankapembedza fano limene Mika anapanga nthawi yonse pamene nyumba ya Mulungu inali ku Silo.
