Judges 18
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. The tribe of the descendants of Dan was looking for a territory to live in, for up to that day they had not received any inheritance from 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 five men from the whole number of their tribe, men who were experienced warriors from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to scout the land on foot, and to look it over. They said to them, “Go and look over the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and they spent the night 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 near Micah's house, they recognized the speech of the young Levite. So they stopped and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you 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, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me to become his priest.”
Iye anawawuza zimene Mika anamuchitira ndipo anati, “Iye anandilemba ntchito ndipo ndine wansembe wake.”
5 They said to him, “Please seek the advice of God, so we may know whether the journey we are going on will be successful.”
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. Yahweh will lead you in the way you should go.”
Wansembeyo anawayankha kuti, “Pitani mu mtendere, Yehova ali ndi inu pa ulendo wanuwu.”
7 Then the five men left and came to Laish, and they saw that the people were living in safety, in the same way the Sidonians lived, undisturbed and secure. There was no one who conquered them or who oppressed them in any way in the land. They lived far away from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
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 returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What is your report?”
Ozonda dziko aja atabwerera kwa abale awo ku Zora ndi Esitaoli, abale awowo anawafunsa kuti, “Mwaonako zotani?”
9 They said, “Come! Let us attack them! We have seen the land and it is very good. Are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to attack and conquer 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 will come to a people who think they are secure, and the land is wide! God has given it to you—a place that does not lack anything in the land.”
Mukalowa, mukapeza anthu amene ali osatekeseka ndi dziko lalikulu. Yehova wakupatsani dziko limeneli. Malowo ngosasowa kanthu kalikonse kopezeka pa dziko lapansi.”
11 Six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
Kenaka anthu 600 a fuko la Dani ananyamuka ku Zora ndi Esitaoli atanyamula zida za nkhondo.
12 They went up and camped at Kiriath Jearim, in Judah. This is why people called that place Mahaneh Dan to this day; it is west of 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 went away from 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 had gone to scout the country of Laish said to their relatives, “Do you know that in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved figure, and a cast metal figure? Decide now what you will 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 So they turned in there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the house of Micah, and they greeted him.
Choncho anthuwa anapatuka napita ku nyumba ya Mika kumene mnyamata, Mlevi uja ankakhala ndipo anamufunsa za mmene zinthu zilili.
16 Now the six hundred Danites, armed with weapons of war, stood at 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 had gone to scout out the land went there and they took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, while the priest stood by the opening 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 When these went into Micah's house and took the carved figure, the ephod, the household gods, and the cast metal figure, 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, “Be quiet! Put your hand on your mouth and come with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest for the house of one man, or to be priest for a tribe and a clan 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. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved figure, and went along with the people.
Wansembeyo anakondwera ndipo anatenga efodi, fano la mʼnyumba ndi fano losema natsagana nawo.
21 So they turned and went away. They put the small children in front of themselves, as well as the cattle and their possessions.
Choncho iwo anatembenuka nachoka, atatsogoza ana, zoweta ndi katundu wawo yense.
22 When they were a good distance from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called together, and they caught up with the Danites.
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 shouted to the Danites, and they turned and said to Micah, “Why have you been called together?”
Atawafuwulira, a fuko la Dani aja anachewuka ndipo anafunsa Mika kuti, “Chavuta nʼchiyani kuti usonkhanitse anthu chotere?”
24 He said, “You stole the gods that I made, you have taken my priest, and you are leaving. What else do I have left? How can you ask me, 'What is bothering 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, “You should not let us hear you say anything, or some very angry men will attack you, and you and your family will be killed.”
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 Then the people of Dan went their way. 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 The people of Dan took what Micah had made, as well as his priest, and they came to Laish, to a people who were undisturbed and secure and they struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city.
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 one to rescue them because it was a long way from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that is near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt 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 named the city Dan, the name of Dan their ancestor, who was one of Israel's sons. But the name of the city used to be 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 the carved figure for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites until the day of the land's captivity.
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 worshiped Micah's carved figure that he made as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
Choncho anthu a fuko la Dani ankapembedza fano limene Mika anapanga nthawi yonse pamene nyumba ya Mulungu inali ku Silo.
