< 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.
Saa bere no mu na Israel nni ɔhene. Na Dan abusuakuw rehwehwɛ baabi atena, efisɛ na wontumi mpam nnipa a wɔte asase a wɔde maa wɔn no so.
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.
Enti mmarima a wofi Dan abusuakuw yii akofo baanum a na wɔte Sora ne Estaol sɛ wɔnkɔhwehwɛ asase a wobetumi atena so. Bere a saa akofo yi duu Efraim bepɔw asase so no, wɔkɔɔ Mika fi kɔdaa hɔ anadwo no.
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?”
Wotiee Lewini aberante no sɛnea na ɔrekasa no, wɔde no kɔɔ nkyɛn bisaa no se, “Hena na ɔde wo baa ha na dɛn na woreyɛ? Na adɛn nti na wowɔ ha?”
4 He said to them, “This is what Micah has done for me: He has hired me to become his priest.”
Ɔkaa nhyehyɛe a ɔne Mika ayɛ kyerɛɛ wɔn na ɔkyerɛɛ mu sɛ, ɔyɛ ɔsɔfo ma Mika.
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.”
Na wɔkae se, “Bisa Awurade ma yɛn sɛ yɛn akwantu yi besi yiye anaasɛ ɛrensi yiye.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Yahweh will lead you in the way you should go.”
Ɔsɔfo no kae se, “Monkɔ no asomdwoe mu, efisɛ, Awurade bedi mo anim wɔ mo akwantu no mu.”
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.
Na mmarima baanum no kɔɔ kurow bi a wɔfrɛ no Lais mu. Wohuu sɛ nnipa a hwee mfa wɔn ho te sɛ Sidonfo na wɔte hɔ. Na wɔwɔ asomdwoe ne bammɔ. Na nnipa no wɔ sika, efisɛ na wɔn asase no yɛ asase bere. Na wɔne Sidon ntam twe yiye, na wɔne obiara nni twaka.
8 They returned to their tribe in Zorah and Eshtaol. Their relatives asked them, “What is your report?”
Bere a wɔsan kɔɔ Sora ne Estaol no, wɔn nuanom bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na muhui?”
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.
Na wobuae se, “Momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ wɔn so! Yɛahu asase no na eye pa ara. Monntwentwɛn mo anan ase koraa, monkɔfa asase no.
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.”
Sɛ mudu hɔ a, mubehu nnipa a hwee mfa wɔn ho wɔ hɔ. Onyankopɔn ama yɛn asase bere yantamm a biribiara wɔ so.”
11 Six hundred men of the tribe of Dan, armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol.
Enti akofo ahansia a wofi Dan abusuakuw mu sii mu fii Sora ne Estaol.
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.
Wɔkyeree nsraban wɔ beae bi a ɛwɔ Kiriat-Yearim atɔe fam wɔ Yuda asase so. Wɔfrɛ hɔ Mahane Dan besi nnɛ.
13 They went away from there to the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
Wofi hɔ no, wɔkɔɔ Efraim bepɔw asase no so, baa Mika fi.
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.”
Enti mmarima baanum a wɔkɔsraa Lais asase no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔaka no se, “Nsɔree so bi wɔ ha a asɔfotade kronkron, abusua ahoni, ne ohoni a wɔagu ho wɔ hɔ. Munim nea ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ.”
15 So they turned in there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the house of Micah, and they greeted him.
Enti mmarima baanum no kɔɔ Mika fi, faako a Lewini aberante no te na wokyiaa no fɛw so.
16 Now the six hundred Danites, armed with weapons of war, stood at the entrance of the gate.
Saa bere no na akofo ahansia a wofi Dan abusuakuw mu no gyinagyina abɔntenpon no ano pɛɛ,
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.
na akwansrafo baanum no kɔɔ nsɔree so hɔ, kɔfaa ohoni, asɔfotade kronkron, ne abusua ahoni no.
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?”
Bere a ɔsɔfo no huu sɛ mmarima no retwe akronkronne no afi Mika nsɔree so hɔ no, obisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na moreyɛ yi?”
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?”
Wobuaa no se, “Mua wʼano! Di yɛn akyi na bɛyɛ yɛn nyinaa agya ne yɛn sɔfo. Wunnye nni sɛ eye sɛ wobɛyɛ Israel abusuakuw bi sɔfo sen sɛ wobɛyɛ onipa baako fi mu sɔfo?”
20 The priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod, the household gods, and the carved figure, and went along with the people.
Ɔsɔfo aberante no ani gyei sɛ ɔne wɔn bɛkɔ. Enti ɔfaa asɔfotade kronkron no, abusua ahoni ne ohoni a wɔagu no.
21 So they turned and went away. They put the small children in front of themselves, as well as the cattle and their possessions.
Wosii mu bio de wɔn mma, nyɛmmoa ne wɔn agyapade, dii wɔn anim.
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.
Bere a Dan abusuakuw mu nnipa no afi Mika fi kɔ akyirikyiri no, Mika ne nʼafipamfo mu bi tiw wɔn.
23 They shouted to the Danites, and they turned and said to Micah, “Why have you been called together?”
Wɔbɛn wɔn no wɔteɛteɛɛ mu. Na Dan mmarima no dan wɔn ani kae se, “Dɛn na morehwehwɛ? Adɛn nti na woafrɛ nnipa yi aboa ano na moretaa yɛn sɛɛ?”
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?'”
Mika buae se, “Wubisa sɛ dɛn na worehwehwɛ a na wokyerɛ dɛn? Moafa mʼanyame nyinaa ne me sɔfo, na minni hwee bio!”
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.”
Dan mmarima no buae se, “Hwɛ nea woreka no yiye! Yɛn mu bi bo nkyɛ fuw, anhwɛ a wɔn bo befuw na wɔakum wo ne wʼabusuafo.”
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.
Enti Dan mmarima no toaa so kɔɔ wɔn kwan. Mika huu sɛ nnipa no dɔɔso a enti ontumi ntow nhyɛ wɔn so no, ɔdan ne ho kɔɔ fie.
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.
Dan mmarima faa Mika ahoni ne ne sɔfo no de wɔn baa kurow Lais a emu nnipa wɔ asomdwoe ne bammɔ no mu. Wɔtow hyɛɛ emu nnipa no so, kunkum wɔn nyinaa, hyew kurow no dwerɛbee.
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.
Na obiara nni hɔ a obegye kurow no mufo, efisɛ na nea wɔte no ne Sidon mu twe na wonni adɔfo a wɔbɛn nso. Saa asɛm yi sii wɔ obon a ɛbɛn Bet-Rehob no mu. Afei, Dan abusuakuw no mma san kyekyeree kurow no, na wɔtenaa hɔ.
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.
Wɔde kurow no too Dan a ɔyɛ wɔn tete agya Israel no ba, na kan no wɔfrɛ hɔ Lais.
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.
Afei, wogyinaa ohoni a wɔagu no na wɔfaa Gersom babarima Yonatan a ɔyɛ Mose aseni sɛ wɔn sɔfo. Saa ofi yi mu nnipa kɔɔ so yɛɛ asɔfo maa Dan abusuakuw kosii Otukɔ bere.
31 So they worshiped Micah's carved figure that he made as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
Enti Dan abusuakuw no toaa so som ohoni a ɛyɛ Mika dea no wɔ bere tenten a na Onyankopɔn Ahyiae Ntamadan no wɔ Silo.

< Judges 18 >