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 the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves, so that they might live in it. For even to that day, they had not received their lot among the other tribes.
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.
Therefore, the sons of Dan sent five very strong men, of their stock and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, so that they might explore the land and diligently inspect it. And they said to them, “Go, and consider the land.” And after traveling, they arrived at mount Ephraim, and they entered into the house of Micah. There they rested.
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?”
And they recognized the speech of the youth who was a Levite. And while making use of an inn with him, they said to him: “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? For what reason did you want to come here?”
4 Egblɔ dɔ si wɔm wòle na Mika abe eƒe nunɔla ene la na wo.
And he answered them, “Micah has offered me one thing and another, and he has paid me wages, so that I may be his priest.”
5 Wobia tso esi be, “Ekema bia Mawu be mɔ si dzi míele la adze edzi na mí mahã?”
Then they begged him to consult the Lord, so that they might be able to know whether the journey they undertook would be prosperous, and whether the matter would have success.
6 Nunɔla la ɖo eŋu be, “Miyi le ŋutifafa me, Yehowa le mia ta kpɔm.”
And he responded to them, “Go in peace. The Lord looks with favor on your path, and on the journey that you have undertaken.”
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.
And so the five men, going on, arrived at Laish. And they saw the people, living in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and peaceful, having hardly anyone to oppose them, and with great wealth, and living separately, far from Sidon and from all men.
8 Ale ŋkutsalawo trɔ yi wo nɔviwo gbɔ le Zora kple Estaol. Wobia wo be, “Aleke miedee eye nu kawo miekpɔ?”
And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:
9 Ŋkutsalawo ɖo eŋu be, “Mina míaho aʋa ɖe wo ŋu! Míekpɔ anyigba la: enyo ŋutɔ. Migawɔ kuvia le anyigba la xɔxɔ ŋu o.
“Rise up. Let us ascend to them. For we have seen that the land is very wealthy and fruitful. Do not delay; do not refrain. Let us go out and possess it. There will be no difficulty.
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!”
We shall enter to those who dwell securely, in a very wide region, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, a place in which there is no lack of anything that grows upon the earth.”
11 Ale ŋutsu alafa ade tso Dan ƒe to la me bla akpa eye wodze mɔ tso Zora kple Estaol.
And so, those of the kindred of Dan set out, that is, six hundred men from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with the weapons of warfare.
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 going up, they stayed at Kiriath-jearim of Judah. And so the place, from that time, received the name the Camp of Dan, and it is behind the back of Kiriath-jearim.
13 Tso afi ma wolia to la yi Efraim to la ƒe anyigba dzi.
From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at 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!”
the five men, who before had been sent to consider the land of Laish, said to the rest of their brothers: “You know that in these houses there is an ephod and theraphim, and a molten idol and a graven image. Consider what it may please you to do.”
15 Ale woge ɖe Levitɔ ɖekakpui la ƒe aƒe me le Mika ƒe teƒe hedo gbe nɛ.
And when they had turned aside a little, they entered the house of the Levite youth, who was in the house of Micah. And they greeted him with peaceful words.
16 Ame alafa ade tso Dan ƒe to la me, ame siwo bla akpa na aʋawɔwɔ la tsi tsitre ɖe agbo la nu.
Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.
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.
But those who had entered the house of the youth strove to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. But the priest was standing in front of the door, with the six hundred very strong men waiting not far away.
18 Esi Levitɔ la kpɔ be wotsɔ nu siawo la, ebia wo be, “Nu ka wɔm miele?”
And so, those who had entered took away the graven image, the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. And 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 responded to him: “Be silent and place your finger over your mouth. And come with us, so that we may have you as a father as well as a priest. For which is better for you: to be a priest in the house of one man, or in one tribe and family in Israel?”
20 Levitɔ la lɔ̃ be yeayi kpli wo, ale wòtsɔ kɔmewu la, aƒedomemawuwo kple aklamakpakpɛwo hedze wo yome.
And when he had heard this, he agreed to their words. And he took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven image, and he set out with them.
21 Wotsɔ woƒe viwo, woƒe lãhawo kple woƒe nunɔamesiwo ɖo ŋgɔ eye wotrɔ hedzo.
And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead 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.
And when they were far from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses of Micah, crying out together, followed them.
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?”
And they began to shout behind their backs. And when they had looked back, they said to Micah: “What do you want? Why are you crying out?”
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 responded: “You have taken away my gods, which I made for myself, and the priest, and all that I have. And do you say, ‘What is it that you want?’”
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 sons of Dan said to him, “Take care that you no longer speak to us, otherwise men with a mind for violence may overwhelm you, and you yourself would perish with all your house.”
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.
And so, they continued on the journey that they had begun. But Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, returned 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.
Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned the city with fire.
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.
For no one at all sent reinforcements, because they lived far away from Sidon, and they had no association or business with any man. Now the city was situated in the region of Rehob. And building it up again, they lived in it,
29 Woyɔa du la tsã be Lais, ke Dan ƒe to la tsɔ wo fofo, Dan, Israel viŋutsu ƒe ŋkɔ nɛ.
calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, who had been born of Israel, though before it was called Laish.
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 they established for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, with his sons, were priests in the tribe of Dan, even until the day of their captivity.
31 Ale Dan ƒe to la subɔ Mika ƒe legbawo ŋkeke ale si Mawu ƒe agbadɔ la nɔ Silo.
And the idol of Micah remained with them during the entire time that the house of God was in Shiloh. In those days, there was no king in Israel.
