Ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo 18
1 Fia aɖeke menɔ Israel ɣe ma ɣi o. Dan ƒe to la nɔ teƒe aɖe dim be yewoanɔ elabena womenya amewo ɖa le anyigba si woma na wo la dzi haɖe o
In those days there was no king in Israel, and in those days the Danites were looking for a heritage for themselves, to be their living-place; for up to that time no distribution of land had been made to them among the tribes of Israel.
2 eya ta Dan ƒe to la tia kalẽtɔ atɔ̃ tso Zora kple Estaol duwo me be woayi aɖatsa ŋku le anyigba si dzi wodi be yewoanɔ la dzi. Esi wova ɖo Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi la, wodze Mika ƒe aƒe me.
So the children of Dan sent five men from among their number, strong men, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to take a look at the land and make a search through it; and they said to them, Go and make a search through the land; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, where they made a stop for the night.
3 Wolé to ɖe Levitɔ la ƒe gbegbɔgblɔ ŋu eye woɖe kpɔe hebiae be, “Nɔvi, nu ka wɔm nèle le afi sia? Afi ka nètso?”
When they were near the house of Micah, hearing a voice which was not strange to them, that of the young Levite, they went out of their road to his place, and said to him, How did you come here? and what are you doing in this place? and why are you here?
4 Egblɔ dɔ si wɔm wòle na Mika abe eƒe nunɔla ene la na wo.
And he said to them, This is what Micah did for me, and he gave me payment and I became his priest.
5 Wobia tso esi be, “Ekema bia Mawu be mɔ si dzi míele la adze edzi na mí mahã?”
Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.
6 Nunɔla la ɖo eŋu be, “Miyi le ŋutifafa me, Yehowa le mia ta kpɔm.”
And the priest said to them, Go in peace: your way is guided by the Lord.
7 Ale ame atɔ̃awo yi Lais du la me eye wokpɔ ale si ameawo le dedie le afi mae, abe Sidontɔwo ene. Woɖe dzi ɖi bɔkɔɔ, wometsi dzi be dukɔ aɖeke aho aʋa ɖe yewo ŋu o elabena dukɔ sesẽ aɖeke menɔ nuto me ma o. Woƒe nɔƒe didi tso wo nɔvi Sidontɔwo gbɔ eye womedea ha kple du siwo te ɖe wo ŋu la o.
Then the five men went on their way and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, living without thought of danger, like the Zidonians, quiet and safe; for they had everything on earth for their needs, and they were far from the Zidonians and had no business with Aram.
8 Ale ŋkutsalawo trɔ yi wo nɔviwo gbɔ le Zora kple Estaol. Wobia wo be, “Aleke miedee eye nu kawo miekpɔ?”
So they came back to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, What news have you?
9 Ŋkutsalawo ɖo eŋu be, “Mina míaho aʋa ɖe wo ŋu! Míekpɔ anyigba la: enyo ŋutɔ. Migawɔ kuvia le anyigba la xɔxɔ ŋu o.
And they said, Up! and let us go against Laish; for we have seen the land, and it is very good: why are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to go in and take the land for your heritage.
10 Ne mieyi la, miakpɔ be ameawo le ŋutifafa me, anyigba la nyo eye wòlolo. Naneke mahiã mí le anyigba la dzi o, Mawu tsɔ anyigba la de asi na mí xoxo!”
When you come there you will come to a people living without thought of danger; and the land is wide, and God has given it into your hands: a place where there is everything on earth for man's needs.
11 Ale ŋutsu alafa ade tso Dan ƒe to la me bla akpa eye wodze mɔ tso Zora kple Estaol.
So six hundred men of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol went out armed with instruments of war.
12 Gbã la, woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe teƒe aɖe si nɔ Kiriat Yearim ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe lɔƒo le Yudanyigba dzi. Woyɔa teƒe sia egbegbe be, “Maham” si gɔmee nye “Dan ƒe Asaɖa.”
And they went up and put up their tents in Kiriath-jearim in Judah: so that place is named Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is to the west of Kiriath-jearim.
13 Tso afi ma wolia to la yi Efraim to la ƒe anyigba dzi.
From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.
14 Esi wova to Mika ƒe aƒe ŋu yina la, ŋkutsala atɔ̃awo gblɔ na wo nɔviwo be, “Kɔmewu, aƒeli, aklamakpakpɛ kple legbawo le aƒe sia me. Eme kɔ ƒãa be mienya nu si wòle be miawɔ!”
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.
15 Ale woge ɖe Levitɔ ɖekakpui la ƒe aƒe me le Mika ƒe teƒe hedo gbe nɛ.
And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?
16 Ame alafa ade tso Dan ƒe to la me, ame siwo bla akpa na aʋawɔwɔ la tsi tsitre ɖe agbo la nu.
And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.
17 Ŋkutsala atɔ̃awo ge ɖe xɔ la me eye wolɔ aklamakpakpɛawo, kɔmewu la, aƒeli la kple legba la esime nunɔla la nɔ agbo la nu kple asrafo alafa ade siwo kpla woƒe aʋawɔnuwo.
Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway with the six hundred armed men.
18 Esi Levitɔ la kpɔ be wotsɔ nu siawo la, ebia wo be, “Nu ka wɔm miele?”
And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, the priest said to them, What are you doing?
19 Wogblɔ nɛ be, “Zi ɖoɖoe, mègagblɔ nya aɖeke o. Dze mía yome eye nànye fofo kple nunɔla na mí katã. Ɖe menyo be nànye nunɔla na Israel ƒe to blibo ɖeka wu nànye nunɔla na ame ɖeka pɛ ko ƒe aƒe oa?”
And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?
20 Levitɔ la lɔ̃ be yeayi kpli wo, ale wòtsɔ kɔmewu la, aƒedomemawuwo kple aklamakpakpɛwo hedze wo yome.
Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.
21 Wotsɔ woƒe viwo, woƒe lãhawo kple woƒe nunɔamesiwo ɖo ŋgɔ eye wotrɔ hedzo.
So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.
22 Esi wogblẽ Mika ƒe aƒe ɖe megbe ʋɛe ko la, ŋutsu siwo nye Mika ƒe aƒelikawo la ƒo wo ɖokui nu ƒu eye wosi du va tu Dan ƒe viwo.
When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,
23 Esi wole ɣli dom le wo yome la Dan ƒe viwo trɔ gblɔ na Mika be, “Nu kae le wɔwòm be nèyɔ wò amewo be woawɔ avu kpli mí?”
Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?
24 Eɖo eŋu na wo be, “Mietsɔ mawu siwo mewɔ kple nye nunɔla dzoe. Nu kae gasusɔ ɖe asinye? Nu ka ŋutie miabiam be, ‘Nu kae le wɔwòm mahã?’”
And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?
25 Dan ƒe to la ɖo eŋu be, “Mègahe nya kpli mí o, ne menye nenema o la, ame siwo doa dziku kabakaba la dometɔ aɖewo adze mia dzi eye wò kple wò aƒe miabu miaƒe agbe.”
And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.
26 Ale Dan ƒe to la gaho ɖe edzi eye esi Mika kpɔ be ameawo sẽ wu ye akpa ta la, etrɔ dzo yi aƒe me.
Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.
27 Dan to la tsɔ Mika ƒe legbawo eye wokplɔ eƒe nunɔla la va ɖo Lais. Lais dua me tɔwo nɔ anyi le ŋutifafa me eye womenya be naneke le dzɔdzɔm o. Wodze wo dzi kple yi eye wotɔ dzo woƒe dua.
And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.
28 Kpeɖeŋutɔ aɖeke menɔ anyi axɔ na wo o elabena woƒe teƒea didi tso Sidon gbɔ eye womedo ka kple ame bubu aɖekewo hã o. Du la nɔ balime si te ɖe Bet Rehob ŋu. Dan ƒe to la gbugbɔ du la tu nyuie eye wònɔ afi ma.
And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.
29 Woyɔa du la tsã be Lais, ke Dan ƒe to la tsɔ wo fofo, Dan, Israel viŋutsu ƒe ŋkɔ nɛ.
And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.
30 Wowɔ teƒe na legbawo eye wowɔ Gersom ƒe vi kple Mose ƒe tɔgbuiyɔvi, ame si ŋkɔe nye Yonatan la kple via ŋutsuwo nunɔlawoe. Amewo tso ƒome sia me nye nunɔlawo va se ɖe esime woɖe aboyo anyigba la.
(And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)
31 Ale Dan ƒe to la subɔ Mika ƒe legbawo ŋkeke ale si Mawu ƒe agbadɔ la nɔ Silo.
And they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
