Balam 18
1 Mu biro ebyo Isirayiri teyalina kabaka. Era mu biro ebyo ekika ky’Abadaani baali banoonya ekifo aw’okubeera kubanga mu bika bya Isirayiri baali tebafunanga kifo kya kubeeramu ng’omugabo gwabwe.
In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of the Danites sought an inheritance to dwell in; for to that day, their inheritance had not fallen to them amongst the tribes of Israel.
2 Kyebaava batuma abaana ba Ddaani bataano, abasajja abalwanyi, okuva mu kika kyabwe kyonna, okuva mu Zola ne mu Esutaoli, bagende bakette ensi. Ne babagamba nti, “Mugende mukebere ensi.” Ne batuuka mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu mu nnyumba ya Mikka ne basula eyo.
The children of Dan sent five men of their family from their whole number, men of valour, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. They said to them, “Go, explore the land!” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.
3 Bwe baali eyo okumpi n’ennyumba ya Mikka ne beetegereza eddoboozi ly’omuvubuka Omuleevi, ne bakyama ne bamubuuza nti, “Ani eyakuleeta wano? Era okola ki wano? Era lwaki oli wano?”
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite; so they went over there and said to him, “Who brought you here? What do you do in this place? What do you have here?”
4 N’abategeeza Mikka bye yamukolera, n’abagamba nti, “Yampangisa era ndi kabona we.”
He said to them, “Thus and thus has Micah dealt with me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest.”
5 Ne bamugamba nti, “Tukwegayiridde, kaakano weebuuze ku Katonda, obanga olugendo lwe tugenda luliba n’omukisa.”
They said to him, “Please ask counsel of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.”
6 Awo kabona n’abaddamu nti, “Mugende mirembe, kubanga Mukama Katonda asiimye mugende ku lugendo lwammwe.”
The priest said to them, “Go in peace. Your way in which you go is before the LORD.”
7 Awo abasajja abataano ne bava awo, ne batuuka e Layisi, ne balaba ng’abantu baayo bali mirembe ng’Abasidoni bwe baali. Baali bakkakkamu, nga balina buli kye beetaaga mu nsi, era nga beesudde akabanga n’Abasidoni, nga tewali muntu n’omu gwe bakolagana naye.
Then the five men departed and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in safety, in the way of the Sidonians, quiet and secure; for there was no one in the land possessing authority, that might put them to shame in anything, and they were far from the Sidonians, and had no dealings with anyone else.
8 Awo abakessi bwe baddayo eri baganda baabwe e Zola n’e Esutaoli, baganda baabwe ne bababuuza nti, “Bigenze bitya?”
They came to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brothers asked them, “What do you say?”
9 Ne baddamu nti, “Mugolokoke, tubalumbe. Tulabye ensi, era laba, nga nnungi nnyo. Temuyinza butagenda. Temulwa, tugende tulye ensi.
They said, “Arise, and let’s go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. Do you stand still? Don’t be slothful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
10 Bwe mulituuka eyo muliraba abantu abakkakkamu ababeera mu nsi engazi, Katonda gy’atadde mu mukono gwammwe, era nsi erimu buli kintu omuntu kye yeetaaga.”
When you go, you will come to an unsuspecting people, and the land is large; for God has given it into your hand, a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”
11 Awo ekika ky’Abadaani ne basitula okuva e Zola n’e Esutaoli, abasajja lukaaga nga balina ebyokulwanyisa.
The family of the Danites set out from Zorah and Eshtaol with six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
12 Ne bagenda ne basiisira okumpi ne Kiriyasuyalimu mu Yuda. Ekifo ekyo ne bakituuma Makanedani era kye kiyitibwa n’okutuusa leero.
They went up and encamped in Kiriath Jearim in Judah. Therefore they call that place Mahaneh Dan to this day. Behold, it is behind Kiriath Jearim.
13 Ne bava awo ne balaga mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu ne batuuka ku nnyumba ya Mikka.
They passed from there to the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.
14 Abasajja abataano abaagenda okuketta ensi ya Layisi ne bagamba baganda baabwe nti, “Mumanyi nga mu nnyumba zino mulimu Efodi n’ebifaananyi ebyole n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse? Kale nno mukole kye mugwanira okukola.”
Then the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish answered and said to their brothers, “Do you know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a carved image, and a molten image? Now therefore consider what you have to do.”
15 Ne bakyama ne bagenda mu nnyumba y’omuvubuka Omuleevi eyali ewa Mikka ne bamulamusa.
They went over there and came to the house of the young Levite man, even to the house of Micah, and asked him how he was doing.
16 Abasajja olukaaga nga balina ebyokulwanyisa byabwe ne bayimirira ku mulyango.
The six hundred men armed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.
17 Awo abasajja abataano abaagenda okuketta ne bayingira ne baggyamu ekifaananyi ekyole, ne Efodi, ne balubaale abaali mu nnyumba n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse, nga kabona n’abasajja olukaaga nga balina ebyokulwanyisa byabwe bayimiridde ku mulyango.
The five men who went to spy out the land went up, and came in there, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image; and the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men armed with weapons of war.
18 Abasajja bwe bayingira mu nnyumba ya Mikka okuggyamu ekifaananyi ekyole, ne Efodi, ne balubaale abaali mu nnyumba n’ekifaananyi ekisaanuuse, kabona n’ababuuza nti, “Mukola ki?”
When these went into Micah’s house, and took the engraved image, the ephod, the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 Ne bamuddamu nti, “Sirika tonyega. Jjangu naffe obeere kitaffe era kabona waffe. Kiki ekisinga, ggwe okuba kabona w’ennyumba y’omuntu omu, oba okuba kabona w’ekika kya Isirayiri?”
They said to him, “Hold your peace, put your hand on your mouth, and go with us. Be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and a family in Israel?”
20 Kabona n’asanyuka, n’atwala Efodi ne balubaale abaali mu nnyumba n’ekifaananyi ekyole n’agenda nabo.
The priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, the teraphim, and the engraved image, and went with the people.
21 Ne babaako we bakyama ne balekayo abaana baabwe abato n’ebisolo byabwe n’ebintu byabwe. Ne bagenda mu maaso.
So they turned and departed, and put the little ones, the livestock, and the goods before them.
22 Bwe batambulako akabanga okuva ku nnyumba ya Mikka, abasajja abaabeeranga mu nnyumba eziriraanye ennyumba ya Mikka ne bakuŋŋaana ne bawondera abaana ba Ddaani.
When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah’s house gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.
23 Bwe baali babakoowoola, abaana ba Ddaani ne bakyuka ne batunuulira Mikka ne bamubuuza nti, “Mutukoowoolera ki?”
As they called to the children of Dan, they turned their faces, and said to Micah, “What ails you, that you come with such a company?”
24 N’abaddamu nti, “Mututte balubaale bange be neekolera, ne kabona. Kiki kye nsigazza? Muyinza mutya okumbuuza kye mbadde?”
He said, “You have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and have gone away! What more do I have? How can you ask me, ‘What ails you?’”
25 Abaana ba Ddaani ne bamuddamu nti, “Sitwagala kuwulira ddoboozi lyo, si kulwa ng’abasajja abakambwe abali mu ffe bakulumba n’ofiirwa obulamu bwo n’obw’abo ab’omu nnyumba yo.”
The children of Dan said to him, “Don’t let your voice be heard amongst us, lest angry fellows fall on you, and you lose your life, with the lives of your household.”
26 Awo abaana ba Ddaani ne beetambulira. Awo Mikka bwe yalaba nga bamuyinze amaanyi, n’akyuka n’addayo ewuwe.
The children of Dan went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his house.
27 Ne batwala ebintu Mikka bye yali akoze, ne kabona gwe yalina, ne batuuka e Layisi omwali abantu abakkakkamu abatamanyiridde, ne bakilumba ne batta abantu baamu n’ekitala, n’ekibuga ne bakikumako omuliro.
They took that which Micah had made, and the priest whom he had, and came to Laish, to a people quiet and unsuspecting, and struck them with the edge of the sword; then they burnt the city with fire.
28 Tewaaliwo eyajja okubataasa kubanga ne Sidoni kyali wala n’ekibuga ekyo, ate nga tebalina nkolagana na muntu yenna. Ekibuga kyali mu kiwonvu ekiriraanye Besulekobu. Abaddaani ne bazimba buto ekibuga ne babeera omwo.
There was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone else; and it was in the valley that lies by Beth Rehob. They built the city and lived in it.
29 Ekibuga ne bakikyusa erinnya okuva ku Layisi lye kyayitibwanga olubereberye ne bakituuma Ddaani, ng’erinnya lya Ddaani jjajjaabwe eyazaalibwa Isirayiri bwe lyali.
They called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel; however the name of the city used to be Laish.
30 Awo abaana ba Ddaani ne beeterawo ekifaananyi ekyole, ne balonda Yonasaani mutabani wa Gerusomu, muzzukulu wa Musa, ne batabani be okuba bakabona eri ekika ky’Abadaani okutuusa ensi lwe yawambibwa.
The children of Dan set up for themselves the engraved image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 Ne bassaawo ebifaananyi ebyole Mikka bye yali yeekoledde, ebbanga lyonna ennyumba ya Katonda we yabeerera mu Siiro.
So they set up for themselves Micah’s engraved image which he made, and it remained all the time that God’s house was in Shiloh.
