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.
At that time the Israelis had no king. Also at that time, the tribe of Dan was still searching for some land where they could live. The other Israeli tribes had [been able to] ([capture/take possession of]) [the] land that had been allotted to them, but the tribe of Dan had not been able to do that.
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 they chose five soldiers from their clans, men who lived in Zorah and Eshtaol [cities], to go through the land and explore it [and try to find some land where their tribe could live]. They came to Micah’s house in the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lived, and they stayed there that 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?”
While they were in his house and they heard the young man who had become Micah’s priest talking, they recognized from (his accent/the way that he talked) [that he was from the southern part of Israel]. So they went to him and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? Why did you come here?”
4 Nwokorobịa ahụ kọwara ha ihe Maịka meere ya. Ọ gwara ha, “O nyere m ọrụ, abụkwa m onye nchụaja ya.”
He told them the things that Micah had done for him. And he said, “Micah (has hired me/is paying me to work for him), and I have become his priest.”
5 Ha sịrị ya, “Ọ dị mma! Biko, jụta Chineke ase, chọpụta ma ije anyị a ọ ga-agakwa nke ọma.”
So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
6 Onye nchụaja ahụ zara sị ha, “Gaa nʼudo. Ije unu nwere ngọzị Onyenwe anyị.”
The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this 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.
[The next day] the five men left. When they came to Laish [city], they saw that the people there lived safely, like the people in Sidon [city] did. The people there thought that they were safe/protected [from any enemies], and they had plenty of [good fertile] land. They lived very far from the people of Sidon, [so the people of Sidon would not be able to help defend/protect them]. They had no other (allies/groups nearby that would help them in battles).
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 those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
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 replied, “We have found some land, and it is very good. We should go and attack the people [who live there]. Why are you staying here and doing nothing [RHQ]? Do not wait any longer! We should go immediately and take possession of that 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 go there, you will see that there is plenty of land, and it has everything [that we will need]. The people there are not expecting anyone to attack them. Surely God is giving that land to us.”
11 Ya mere, narị ndị agha isii ndị si nʼebo Dan biliri gaa ibuso obodo ahụ agha. Ha sikwa Zora na Eshtaol pụọ.
So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
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.
On their way they set up their tents near Kiriath-Jearim [city] in [the area where the tribe of] Judah [lives]. That is why the area west of Kiriath-Jearim was named ‘Camp of Dan’, and that is still its name.
13 Emesịa, ha pụrụ nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, bịarute nʼụlọ Maịka.
From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at 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.”
The five men who had explored the land near Laish said to their fellow Israelis, “Do you know that in one of these houses there is a sacred vest, several idols, and a statue? [We think that] you know what you should do.” [RHQ]
15 Ya mere, ha gara nʼebe ahụ, banye nʼụlọ nwokorobịa Livayị ahụ, ebe o bi nʼụlọ Maịka, jụọ ya maka ọdịmma ya.
So they went to the house where the man from the tribe of Levi lived, which was the house where Micah lived, and they greeted the young man from the tribe of Levi [who had become Micah’s priest].
16 Narị ndị ikom Dan, ndị jikere ibu agha, guzo nʼọnụ ụzọ ama.
The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
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.
The five men who had explored the land went into Micah’s house, and took all the idols, the sacred vest, and the statue. While they did that, the 600 men stood outside the gate, [talking] with the priest.
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 the priest saw them bringing out the idols and the sacred vest and the statue, he 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.”
They replied, “Be quiet! Do not say anything! You come with us and be [like] a father to us and a priest for us. Is it better for you to [stay here and] be a priest for the people in the house of one man, or to be a priest for a clan, and a priest for a whole tribe of Israelis?” [RHQ]
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.
The priest liked what they were suggesting. So he took the sacred vest and the idols, and he [prepared to] go with the men from the tribe of Dan.
21 Ha malitekwara ije ha, ụmụntakịrị ha, na igwe anụ ụlọ ha, na ngwongwo ha ka ha tinyere nʼihu ha.
They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
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 had gone a little distance from Micah’s house, Micah [saw what was happening. He] quickly summoned the men who lived near him, and they ran and caught up with the men from the tribe of Dan.
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?”
They shouted at them. The men of the tribe of Dan turned around and said to Micah, “What is the problem? Why have you gathered these men [to pursue us]?”
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?’”
Micah shouted, “You took the silver idols that were made for me! You also took my priest! I do not have anything left [RHQ]! So why do you ask me, ‘What is the problem?’”
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 men from the tribe of Dan replied, “You should not shout loudly like that! One of our angry men might attack you and kill you and your family!”
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.
Then the men from the tribe of Dan continued walking. Micah realized that there was a very large group of them, [so that it would be useless for him to try to fight them]. So he turned around and went home.
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.
The men of the tribe of Dan were carrying the things that had been made for Micah, and they also took his priest, and they continued traveling to Laish. They attacked the people who were peacefully living there, and killed them with their swords, and then they burned everything in 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.
Laish was far from [the city of] Sidon, [so the people of Sidon could not rescue the people of Laish]. And the people of Laish had no other allies. Laish was in a valley near Beth-Rehob [town]. The people of the tribe of Dan rebuilt the city and started to live 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 gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
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 people of the tribe of Dan set up [in the city] the idols [that had been made for Micah]. Jonathan, who was the son of Gershom and the grandson of Moses, was appointed to be their priest. His descendants continued to be priests until the Israelis were captured and taken [to Assyria].
31 Ndị ebo Dan nọgidere na-efe arụsị ndị ahụ Maịka mere oge ahụ niile ụlọ nzute Chineke dị na Shaịlo.
After the people of the tribe of Dan set up the idols that had been made for Micah, [they worshiped those idols, even though] the Sacred Tent [where they had been commanded to worship] God, was at Shiloh.
