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.
Hatnae tueng nah Isarel teh siangpahrang tawn awh hoeh. Hatnae tueng nah Dan miphunnaw ni kho a sak nahan ram a tawng awh. Bangkongtetpawiteh, hatnae tueng totouh Isarelnaw ni râw coe hane totouh râw coe awh hoeh rah.
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.
Hot patetlah Dannaw ni a miphun abuemlae thung dawk, tongpatang panga touh ram tuet han hoi panue hanelah Zorah hoi Eshtaol hoi a tho awh. Ahnimouh koe, cet awh nateh, ram hah tuet awh atipouh. Hahoi teh, Ephraim mon dawk Mikah im a pha teh hawvah a roe awh.
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?”
Mikah im ao awh navah, Levihnaw e thoundoun lawk a thai awh. Ahnimouh koe lah hruet a hnai teh, apinimaw hivah na hrawi awh. Hete hmuen koe bangmaw na sak awh. Bang telah hoi maw hi kho na sak awh atipouh awh.
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.”
Ahnimouh ni, ahnimouh koe Mikah ni hettelah na sak awh. Na hlai awh teh, vaihma lah ka o ati pouh.
5 So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
Ahnimouh ni ahnimouh koe ka ceinae a lam ka cawn han na ou, cawn mahoeh ou ti panue thai nahan, Cathut koe na het pouh haw atipouh awh.
6 The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
Vaihma ni ahnimouh koevah, lungmawngcalah cet awh, na ceinae lam dawkvah, BAWIPA ni na okhai awh telah atipouh.
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).
Hahoi tami panga touh a tâco awh teh, Laish vah a cei awh. Hote taminaw teh Sidonnaw patetlah lungmawngcalah ao awh e hah a hmu awh. Hote ram dawk teh kaukkung hai awm hoeh. Sidonnaw hoi hai hroung a kâhla awh. Api hoi hai kâkuetkâmainae tawn awh hoeh.
8 When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
Hote katuetnaw teh Zorah hoi Eshtaol a hmaunawnghanaw koe a luen awh. A hmaunawnghanaw ni, bang kamthang maw na phu awh atipouh awh.
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!
Ahnimouh ni, thaw awh leih, tuk awh leih sei. Bangkongtetpawiteh, ram teh ka hmu awh. Ahawi hai ahawipoung. Kâroe laipalah maw na o awh rah. Hote ram teh lawp hanelah cuhrucuhru tet awh hanh leih.
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.”
Na cei navah, lungmawngcalah kaawmnaw koe na pha awh han. A ram hai hroung akaw na a. Bangkongtetpawiteh, Cathut ni na kut dawk na poe toe. Talai van e kaawm e hno thung dawk teh, a voutnae banghai kaawm hoeh e hmuen doeh na a.
11 So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
Hahoi, Zorah hoi Eshtaol kaawm e Dan miphunnaw teh, tarantuknae kamthoup e tami 600 touh a tâco awh.
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.
A takhang awh teh, Judah ram KiriathJearim vah a roe awh. Hatdawkvah, hote hmuen teh atu totouh, Mahaneh-dan telah a phung awh. Hottelah Kiriathjearim kanîloumlah kaawm e naw doeh.
13 From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
Haw hoi pou a tapoung awh teh, Ephraim mon koe Mikah im a pha awh.
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]
Hottelah, Laish ram katuetnaw tami panga touh ni a tho sin teh, a hmaunawnghanaw koevah, hlun e meikaphawk, dêi e meikaphawk ao tie na panue maw. Hatdawkvah, bangtelamaw na ti awh han, pouk awh leih atipouh awh.
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].
Hot hmuen koehoi a ban awh teh, Levih miphun thoundoun onae hmuen Mikah im a pha teh, a kut a man awh.
16 The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
Dan miphunnaw thung dawk hoi tami 600 touh tarantuknae puengcang kâmahrawk e naw hah longkha koe a kangdue awh.
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.
Tami panga touh ram katuetnaw a luen awh teh, Mikah im a kâen awh. A hlun awh e meikaphawk, Ephod Terah cathut, dêi e meikaphawk hah a la pouh awh. Hahoi vaihma teh tami 600 touh tarantuknae puengcang kâmahrawknaw koe a tumdumnae longkha koe a kangdue van.
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?”
Hote taminaw ni, Mikah im a kâen teh, hlun e meikaphawk, Ephod Terah cathut, dêi e meikaphawk, hah a la awh toteh, vaihma ni bangmaw na sak awh telah atipouh.
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]
Ahnimouh ni lungmawngcalah awm, na kut hoi na pahni tabuem nateh, kaimouh koe kâbang, na pa lah, vaihma lah, kaimouh koe awm khe. Nang hanelah imthungkhu buet touh koe vaihma lah o e maw kahawi, Isarelnaw rahak miphun buet touh koe vaihma lah o e maw kahawi telah atipouh.
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.
Hahoi, vaihma teh a lung ahawi. Ephod hoi Terah cathut hoi hlun e meikaphawk hah a la teh, ahnimouh koe a kâen toe.
21 They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
Hottelah, a tâcokhai teh, a camonaw hoi a saringnaw hnopai hmalah a ta teh a ceikhai.
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.
Mikah im hoi kahlathnawn lah a cei hnukkhu hoi, Mikah e a sannaw a kamkhueng awh teh, Dan miphunnaw hah a pâlei awh teh, rek a pha awh.
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]?”
Dan e a catounnaw a kaw awh teh, hahoi a hnuk lahoi a khet awh teh, Mikah koevah, bangkongmaw het yit touh taminaw na thokhai ati awh.
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?’”
Mikah ni, ka sak e cathutnaw hoi vaihma hah oun na ceikhai awh teh, bang vai kai ka tawn toung. Paleipalang bangmaw na sak koe na ti awh vaw atipouh.
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!”
Dannaw ni ahnimouh koevah, kaimouh rahak vah, lawk hrumhram dei hanh. Hoehpawiteh, kut na noung payon vaih atipouh awh.
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.
Hahoi, Dannaw teh a cei awh. Mikah ni tuk han a taki teh, im a ban takhai awh.
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.
Hahoi Mikah ni a sak e hnonaw hoi a vaihma hah a ceikhai awh teh, lungmawngcalah kaawm e Laish vah a pha awh. Tahloi hoi a thei awh teh, a kho hai hmai a sawi pouh awh.
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.
Sidon hoi hroung ahla dawkvah, ka ratang e api awm hoeh. Api hoi hai kâkuetnae tawn awh hoeh. Bethrehob tengpam tanghling dawk kaawm e naw doeh. Hahoi hote kho bout a kangdue sak awh teh, hawvah kho a sak awh.
29 They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
Hahoi a kho min lavah, Isarel ca kakhekung Dan patetlah ao dawk Dan atipouh awh. Hote kho min karuem teh Laish doeh.
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].
Hahoi Dan miphun ni, Mikah ni hlun e meikaphawk teh, amamouh hanlah a hung awh. Gershom capa Jonathan, Mosi capa, hoi a capanaw teh hote ram a la awh hoehroukrak, Dan miphunnaw e vaihma lah ao awh.
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.
Hot patetlah Shiloh e cathut im vah, ao na yunglam, Mikah ni a hlun e meikaphawk a sak awh e teh, amamouh hanlah a pâhung awh.
