Ndị Ikpe 18
1 Nʼoge ahụ kwa, ụmụ Izrel enweghị eze ọbụla na-achị ha. Ebo Dan na-achọkwara onwe ha ebe obibi nke ga-abụ ala nke aka ha, nʼihi na ruo ugbu a, ha enwebeghị ike chụpụ ndị bi nʼala ahụ e kenyere ha dịka ihe nketa nke ha.
In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2 Nʼihi nke a, ebo Dan sitere nʼikwu ise dị nʼebo ha họpụta mmadụ ise. Ndị a bụ dimkpa, na dike nʼagha, bụrụkwa ndị si nʼobodo Zora na Eshtaol. Ha zipụrụ mmadụ ise ndị a ka ha gaa nyochaa ala ahụ ha na-achọ ibi nʼime ya. Mgbe ndị ahụ jeruru obodo ugwu ugwu Ifrem, ha gara nọdụ ọdụ abalị nʼụlọ Maịka.
So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
3 Mgbe ha nọ nso ụlọ Maịka, ha nụrụ asụsụ nwokorobịa onye Livayị ahụ bụ onye nchụaja. Ha kpọpụtara ya nʼotu akụkụ jụọ ya ajụjụ sị, “Onye kpọtara gị ebe a? Gịnị ka ị na-eme nʼebe a? Gịnị mere i ji bịa nʼebe a?”
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 Nwokorobịa ahụ kọwara ha ihe Maịka meere ya. Ọ gwara ha, “O nyere m ọrụ, abụkwa m onye nchụaja ya.”
“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 Ha sịrị ya, “Ọ dị mma! Biko, jụta Chineke ase, chọpụta ma ije anyị a ọ ga-agakwa nke ọma.”
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 Onye nchụaja ahụ zara sị ha, “Gaa nʼudo. Ije unu nwere ngọzị Onyenwe anyị.”
And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 Ya mere, ndị ikom ise ndị ahụ biliri ije bịaruo nʼobodo Laish, ebe ha hụrụ na ndị ahụ na-ebi nʼudo, na-enweghị nsogbu ọbụla. Ha dịka ndị obodo Saịdọn, ndị onwe ha juru afọ, ndị na-adịghị atụ anya ihe egwu ọbụla. Ha bụ ndị bara ụba, ebe ọ dịghị ihe ọbụla kọrọ ụkọ nʼala ahụ. Ọzọ, ha bi nʼebe dị anya site nʼobodo ndị Saịdọn. Ọ dịkwaghị ihe ha na mmadụ ọbụla nwekọrọ.
So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
8 Mgbe ndị nnyocha ahụ laghachiri nʼobodo Zora na Eshtaol, ndị ebo Dan ibe ha jụrụ ha, sị, “Unu si aṅaa jee? Gịnị ka unu chọpụtara?”
When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 Ha zara sị, “Bịanụ, ka anyị gaa buso ha agha. Anyị ahụla ala ahụ, ọ dịkwa mma nke ukwu. Gịnị ka unu na-agbara nkịtị? Unu egbula oge ịba nʼebe ahụ nweta ya.
They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
10 Mgbe unu ruru ebe ahụ, unu ga-ahụ ndị na-adịghị atụ anya ihe egwu ọbụla, na ala sara mbara nke Chineke na-etinye unu nʼaka. Ala nke ihe ọbụla na-adịghị akọ nʼime ya.”
When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
11 Ya mere, narị ndị agha isii ndị si nʼebo Dan biliri gaa ibuso obodo ahụ agha. Ha sikwa Zora na Eshtaol pụọ.
So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 Mgbe ha na-aga, ha rutere Kiriat Jearim, nke dị na Juda, maa ụlọ ikwu ha nʼebe ahụ. Ọ bụ ya mere e ji akpọ ebe ahụ dị nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ Kiriat Jearim Mahane Dan ruo taa.
They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
13 Emesịa, ha pụrụ nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, bịarute nʼụlọ Maịka.
And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 Mmadụ ise ndị ahụ gara nnyochapụta ala (ya bụ ala Laish) ahụ gwara ụmụnna ha sị, “Unu maara na nʼime otu ụlọ ndị a na e nwere efọọd, nʼụfọdụ arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị dị iche iche, na oyiyi a kpụrụ akpụ nke eji ọla wuo? Ugbu a, maranụ ihe unu ga-eme.”
Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
15 Ya mere, ha gara nʼebe ahụ, banye nʼụlọ nwokorobịa Livayị ahụ, ebe o bi nʼụlọ Maịka, jụọ ya maka ọdịmma ya.
So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 Narị ndị ikom Dan, ndị jikere ibu agha, guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ama.
The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 Mgbe ahụ, ndị nnyocha ise ahụ banyere nʼime ụlọ ahụ buru arụsị ọla ahụ, na efọọd ahụ, na arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị ahụ, ma onye nchụaja ahụ na narị ndị agha isii ndị ji ngwa agha guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ama.
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 Mgbe ndị ikom ahụ banyere nʼụlọ Maịka buru arụsị ọla ahụ, efọọd ahụ na arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị ọzọ ahụ, onye nchụaja ahụ sịrị ha, “Gịnị ka unu na-eme?”
When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 Ha zara sị ya, “Mechie ọnụ gị! Ekwukwala okwu ọbụla. Soro anyị bịa bụrụ nna anyị na onye nchụaja anyị. Ọ ga-abara gị uru karịa ịbụ onye nchụaja nye otu ebo na otu agbụrụ nʼIzrel, karịa ịbụ onye nchụaja nke naanị otu nwoke nʼime ezinaụlọ ya.”
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
20 Mgbe ahụ, obi tọrọ nwokorobịa onye nchụaja ahụ ụtọ isoro ha gaa. O buuru efọọd ahụ, arụsị ezinaụlọ ndị ọzọ ahụ na oyiyi ahụ a pịrị apị soro ndị ahụ gawa.
So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21 Ha malitekwara ije ha, ụmụntakịrị ha, na igwe anụ ụlọ ha, na ngwongwo ha ka ha tinyere nʼihu ha.
Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 Mgbe ha gamitụrụ nke nta site nʼụlọ Maịka, ndị ikom ndị bi nso ụlọ Maịka kpọkọtara onwe ha chụso ndị Dan, gafee ha.
After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
23 Maịka na ndị so ya na-etikwa mkpu na-akpọku ha sị ha kwụsị ije ha. Ma ndị ebo Dan jụrụ Maịka ajụjụ sị ya, “Gịnị na-eme gị iji kpọpụta ndị gị ka ha bịa lụso anyị agha?”
When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
24 Ọ zaghachiri, “Unu chịịrị chi ndị m mere, kpọrọ onye nchụaja m pụọ. Gịnị ọzọ ka m nwekwara? Olee otu unu si ajụ, ‘Gịnị na-eme gị?’”
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
25 Ndị ikom Dan zara sị ya, “Lezie anya kpachara anya banyere ụdị okwu ị na-ekwu. Nʼihi na i kwuo ụdị okwu a gaa nʼihu, ụfọdụ ndị ikom isi na-anụ ọkụ ga-abịa lụso gị agha gbuo gị na ndị ezinaụlọ gị.”
The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
26 Ya mere, ndị ebo Dan gbara ya nkịtị na-aga ebe ha na-aga. Mgbe Maịka hụrụ na ha dị ọtụtụ karịa ya, ọ hapụrụ ha, tụgharịa laghachi nʼụlọ ya.
So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
27 Ụmụ Dan chịịrị arụsị ahụ niile Maịka mere, durukwa onye nchụaja ya gawa nʼobodo Laish, obodo nọ nʼudo, nke na-adịghị atụ anya ihe egwu ọbụla. Ha busoro ndị obodo ahụ agha, suo obodo ahụ ọkụ.
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
28 Ọ dịghị onye ọbụla nwere ike bịa inyere ndị obodo ahụ aka nʼihi ha bi nʼebe dị anya site nʼobodo Saịdọn. O nwekwaghị obodo ọbụla ha na ha na-emekọrịta. Obodo a dị na ndagwurugwu dị nso na Bet-Rehob. Emesịa, ndị ebo Dan wughachiri obodo ahụ ọzọ, biri nʼime ya.
There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 Ọ bụ nke a mere e ji kpọọ aha obodo ahụ Dan, nke bụ aha nna ha ochie, onye bụ nwa Izrel. Ma tupu ebo Dan ebibie ya, aha obodo a nʼoge gara aga bụ Laish.
They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
30 Nʼebe ahụ ndị Dan guzobeere onwe ha arụsị, Jonatan, nwa Geshọm, nwa Mosis, na ụmụ ya ndị ikom niile ghọọrọ ndị nchụaja nye ebo Dan ruo nʼoge a dọtara ala ahụ nʼagha.
The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 Ndị ebo Dan nọgidere na-efe arụsị ndị ahụ Maịka mere oge ahụ niile ụlọ nzute Chineke dị na Shaịlo.
So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
