Bilombe 18
1 Na mikolo wana, bana ya Isalaele bazalaki na mokonzi te, mpe bato ya libota ya Dani bazalaki koluka esika ya kovanda; pamba te kino na tango wana, bazwaki nanu ya bango libula te kati na mabota nyonso ya Isalaele.
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 Boye, bana ya libota ya Dani batindaki mibali mitano ya libota na bango, kowuta na Tsorea mpe na Eshitaoli, mpo na kokende kononga mpe koyeba mokili yango. Balobaki na bango: « Bokende koyeba mokili yango ndenge ezali. » Mibali mitano yango bakotaki na etuka ya bangomba ya Efrayimi kino na ndako ya Mika, epai wapi balekisaki butu.
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 Tango bakomaki pembeni ya ndako ya Mika, bayokaki mongongo ya elenge mobali Molevi. Babalukaki epai ye azalaki mpe balobaki na ye: — Nani amemaki yo awa? Ozali kosala nini na esika oyo? Mpo na nini ozali awa?
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 Elenge mobali ayebisaki bango: — Tala makambo oyo Mika asali mpo na ngai: Azwi ngai na mosala mpe akomisi ngai nganga-nzambe na ye.
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 Balobaki na ye: — Tunela biso epai ya Nzambe mpo ete toyeba soki mobembo na biso ekozala malamu.
So they said to him, “Please ask God if we will succeed [in what we are trying to do] on this journey.”
6 Nganga-nzambe azongiselaki bango: — Bokende na kimia, Yawe andimi mobembo na bino.
The young man replied, “Things will go well for you. Yahweh will go with you on this journey.”
7 Mibali mitano yango bakendeki mpe bakomaki na Laishi. Bamonaki ete, kuna, bazali na kimia mpe na kozanga nungunungu lokola bato ya Sidoni, oyo bazalaki na kimia mpe na kozanga bobangi. Mokonzi moko te ya mboka azalaki konyokola bango. Bazalaki mosika na bato ya Sidoni mpe basalaki boyokani ata na moto moko te.
[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 Tango mibali mitano yango bazongaki na Tsorea mpe na Eshitaoli, bandeko na bango batunaki bango: — Sango nini bomemeli biso?
When those five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them “What did you find out?”
9 Bazongisaki: — Totelema, tokende kobotola mokili na bango! Tomoni ete mokili yango ezali malamu penza. Boni! Mpo na nini bovandi kimia boye? Bozala bagoyigoyi te mpo na kokende kokota mpe kobotola mokili yango.
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 Tango bokokota kuna, bokomona bato bazali na kimia, mpe bazali na mokili monene oyo Nzambe akabi na maboko na bino, mokili oyo ezangi ata eloko moko te kati na biloko nyonso oyo ezalaka na mabele.
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 Mibali nkama motoba ya libota ya Dani, elongo na bibundeli na bango, balongwaki na Tsorea mpe na Eshitaoli.
So 600 men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, carrying their weapons.
12 Bakendeki kotonga molako na bango na Kiriati-Yearimi, kati na mokili ya Yuda. Yango wana, kino na mokolo ya lelo, babengaka esika yango Maane Dani; ezali na ngambo ya weste ya Kiriati-Yearimi.
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 Balongwaki wana mpe bakendeki na etuka ya bangomba ya Efrayimi kino na ndako ya Mika.
From there, they went to the hilly area where the tribe of Ephraim lives. And they arrived at Micah’s house.
14 Bongo mibali mitano oyo banongaki mokili ya Laishi balobaki na bandeko na bango: « Boni, boyebi ete kati na ndako oyo tovandi, ezali na efode, bikeko mike-mike ya ndako mpe nzambe ya ekeko basala na ebende oyo banyangwisa na moto? Boyeba likambo nini bokosala. »
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 Bongo babalukaki wana, na ndako epai wapi bazalaki mpe bakendeki na ndako ya elenge mobali Molevi, na ndako ya Mika, mpe bapesaki ye mbote.
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 Mibali nkama motoba ya libota ya Dani, oyo bamilengelaki mpo na bitumba batelemaki na ekotelo ya ekuke.
The 600 men of the tribe of Dan stood outside the gate of the house, carrying their weapons.
17 Bato mitano oyo banongaki mokili bakotaki kati na ndako mpe bazwaki efode, bikeko mike-mike ya ndako mpe nzambe ya ekeko basala na ebende banyangwisa na moto. Nganga-nzambe atelemaki liboso ya ekuke elongo na mibali nkama motoba oyo bamilengelaki mpo na bitumba.
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 Tango mibali bakotaki na ndako ya Mika mpe bazwaki efode, bikeko mike-mike ya ndako mpe nzambe ya ekeko basala na ebende banyangwisa na moto, nganga-nzambe alobaki na bango: — Likambo nini bozali kosala?
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 Bazongisaki: — Kanga monoko! Tia loboko na monoko na yo, yaka elongo na biso mpe zala tata na biso mpe nganga-nzambe na biso. Boni, likambo nini eleki malamu: kozala nganga-nzambe ya moto to kozala nganga-nzambe ya libota mpe ya etuka moko ya Isalaele?
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 Nganga-nzambe atondaki na esengo, akamataki efode, banzambe ya bikeko ya ndako mpe bikeko mosusu; akendeki elongo na bato ya libota ya Dani.
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 Babalukaki mpe bazongelaki nzela na bango ya mobembo, batiaki liboso bana na bango ya mike, bibwele mpe bozwi na bango ya talo.
They all put their little children and their animals and everything else that they owned in front of them.
22 Tango bakomaki mwa mosika na ndako ya Mika, Mika mpe bato oyo bazalaki pene ya ndako na ye batelemaki na koganga mpe balandaki libota ya Dani.
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 Awa bazalaki kobelela sima na libota ya Dani, bana ya Dani babalukaki mpe batunaki Mika: — Likambo nini ezwi yo mpo ete omemela biso ebele ya bato boye?
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 Mika azongisaki: — Bozwi banzambe na ngai, oyo nasalaki, nganga-nzambe na ngai, mpe bokeyi na bino; eloko nini natikali na yango lisusu? Ndenge nini bokoki kotuna ngai: « Likambo nini ezwi yo? »
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 Bato ya libota ya Dani bazongiselaki ye: — Tika ete mongongo na yo eyokana te kati na biso, noki te bato ya kanda bakokweyela yo mpe bakoboma yo elongo na libota na yo mobimba.
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 Bana ya libota ya Dani balandaki nzela na bango. Tango Mika amonaki ete bana ya Dani baleki ye na makasi, abalukaki mpe azongaki na ndako na ye.
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 Bana ya libota ya Dani babotolaki biloko oyo Mika asalaki mpe nganga-nzambe na ye. Bongo bakendeki kobundisa engumba Laishi, mboka ya bato ya kimia mpe ya kozanga nungunungu; babomaki bato nyonso na mopanga mpe batumbaki engumba na bango na moto.
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 Moto moko te ayaki kobikisa mboka wana, pamba te ezalaki mosika na Sidoni mpe esalaki boyokani te elongo na ekolo mosusu. Engumba yango ezalaki na lubwaku oyo ezali pembeni ya Beti-Reobi. Bana ya libota ya Dani batongaki wana engumba na bango mpe bavandaki kuna.
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 Bapesaki engumba yango kombo « Dani. » Ezalaki kombo ya koko na bango, Dani, mwana mobali ya Isalaele. Na kala, bazalaki kobenga engumba yango Laishi.
They gave to the city a [new] name, Dan, in honor of their ancestor Dan, who was one of the sons of Jacob.
30 Bana ya libota ya Dani batelemisaki ekeko mpo na bango moko mpe batiaki Jonatan, mwana mobali ya Gerishomi, mwana mobali ya Manase mpe koko ya Moyize, mpo ete akoma Nganga-Nzambe ya bato ya libota ya Dani elongo na bana na ye. Basalaki mosala ya bonganga-Nzambe mpo na libota ya Dani kino tango bato ya mokili bakendeki na bowumbu.
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 Bakobaki kosalela bikeko oyo Mika asalaki na tango nyonso oyo Ndako ya Nzambe ezalaki na Silo.
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.
