Abahluleli 18
1 Ngalezonsuku u-Israyeli wayengelankosi. Njalo ngalezonsuku abosendo lukaDani babedinga indawo engeyabo, lapho ababengahlala khona, ngoba babengakabi sendaweni eyilifa labo phakathi kwezizwana zako-Israyeli.
In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day [their] inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
2 Ngakho abakoDani bathuma amabutho amahlanu avela eZora lase-Eshithawoli ukuyahlola ilizwe lokulibona. Amadoda la ayemele zonke insendo zakibo. Zathi kubo, “Hambani liyehlola ilizwe.” Amadoda lawo angena elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi ayafika endlini kaMikha, lapho alala khona.
And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their whole number, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: and they came to the hill country of Ephraim, unto the house of Micah, and lodged there.
3 Kwathi eseseduze lendlu kaMikha alazi ilizwi lejaha elingumLevi; ngakho aphendukela khona alibuza athi, “Ngubani owakuletha lapha? Wenzani kule indawo? Ufunani lapha?”
When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned aside thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what doest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
4 Lawatshela elalikwenziwe nguMikha, laselisithi, “Ungiqatshile njalo ngingumphristi wakhe.”
And he said unto them, Thus and thus hath Micah dealt with me, and he hath hired me, and I am become his priest.
5 Asesithi kulo, “Ake usibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuthi uhambo lwethu luzaphumelela na.”
And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 Umphristi wawaphendula wathi, “Hambani ngokuthula. Uhambo lwenu luvunyelwe nguThixo.”
And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
7 Ngakho amadoda amahlanu lawo asuka aya eLayishi, lapho abona ukuthi abantu bakhona babezihlalele bevikelekile njengamaSidoni, belokuthula njalo bevikelekile. Njalo babehlezi khatshana lamaSidoni njalo bengelabuhlobo lomunye umuntu.
Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt in security, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; for there was none in the land, possessing authority, that might put [them] to shame in any thing, and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no dealings with any man.
8 Esebuyele eZora lase-Eshithawoli, abafowabo bawabuza bathi, “Libone kunjani?”
And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What [say] ye?
9 Aphendula athi, “Phangisani, kasibahlaseleni! Sibonile ukuthi ilizwe lelo lihle kakhulu. Kaliyikwenza lutho na? Lingazilazili ukuya khonale lilithathe.
And they said, Arise, and let us go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slofthful to go and to enter in to possess the land.
10 Ekufikeni khonale lizathola abantu abanganqinekeli lutho lelizwe elibanzi uNkulunkulu aselifake ezandleni zenu, ilizwe elingasweli lutho.”
When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and the land is large: for God hath given it into your hand; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
11 Lapho-ke amadoda osendo lwakoDani angamakhulu ayisithupha ahlomela ukulwa, asesuka eZora kanye le-Eshithawoli.
And there set forth from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
12 Ekuhambeni kwawo amisa izihonqo eduze leKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi koJuda. Yikho-nje indawo esentshonalanga kweKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ithiwa yiMahane Dani kuze kube lamhla.
And they went up, and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
13 Esuka lapho aya elizweni lezintaba elako-Efrayimi afika endlini kaMikha.
And they passed thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
14 Amadoda amahlanu ayehambe ukuyahlola ilizwe leLayishi athi kubafowabo bakoDani, “Liyakwazi yini ukuthi enye yalezizindlu ilesembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini, lesithombe esihuqwe ngesiliva? Khathesi selikwazi okumele likwenze.”
Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
15 Ngakho-ke aphambukela khona aya endlini yejaha elingumLevi koMikha, alibingelela.
And they turned aside thither, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and asked him of his welfare.
16 AbakoDani abangamakhulu ayisithupha, ababehlomele ukulwa, bema entubeni yesango.
And the six hundred men girt with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
17 Abahlanu ababeyehlola ilizwe bangena phakathi bathatha isithombe esibaziweyo, lesembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini, umphristi lamadoda ahlomileyo angamakhulu ayisithupha bemi entubeni yesango.
And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood by the entering of the gate with the six hundred men girt with weapons of war.
18 Kwathi amadoda la esengene endlini kaMikha athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, lesembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini kanye lesithombe esibunjiweyo, umphristi wathi kubo, “Lenzani na?”
And when these went into Micah’s house and fetched the graven image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What do ye?
19 Amphendula athi, “Thula! Ungatsho lutho. Woza uhambe lathi, ube ngubaba lomphristi wethu. Akungcono yini ukuthi usebenzele isizwana losendo lwako-Israyeli njengomphristi kulabendlu yomuntu oyedwa?”
And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be priest unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
20 Umphristi wathokoza. Wathatha isembatho semahlombe, labanye onkulunkulu basendlini kanye lesithombe esibaziweyo wahamba labantu.
And the priest’s heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
21 Sebefake abantwababo abancane, lezifuyo zabo kanye lempahla zabo phambi kwabo, baphenduka bahamba.
So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the goods before them.
22 Sebehambe isibanga esithize besuka endlini kaMikha, abantu ababehlala eduzane lendlu kaMikha babizelwa ndawonye baxhuma abakoDani.
When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah’s house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
23 Kwathi bebamemeza, abakoDani baphendula bathi kuMikha, “Kungani ubize abantu bakho ukuba balwe?”
And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?
24 Yena waphendula wathi, “Lithethe onkulunkulu engabenzayo lomphristi wami, lahamba. Kuyini okunye engilakho? Lingangibuza kanjani lisithi, ‘Uhlutshwa yini na?’”
And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and are gone away, and what have I more? and how then say ye unto me, What aileth thee?
25 AbakoDani baphendula bathi, “Ungaphikisani lathi, hlezi abanye abantu abalolaka bakuhlasele, kuthi wena labendlu yakho lilahlekelwe yikuphila kwenu.”
And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
26 Ngakho abakoDani bazihambela, kwathi uMikha ebona ukuthi babelamandla kakhulu kulaye, waphenduka wabuyela emzini wakhe.
And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
27 Bathatha okwakwenziwe nguMikha, lomphristi wakhe, baya eLayishi, ebantwini ababelokuthula njalo bengethuki lutho. Babahlasela ngenkemba batshisa ledolobho labo.
And they took that which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword; and they burnt the city with fire.
28 Kakho owayengabahlenga ngoba babehlezi khatshana kakhulu leSidoni bengelabuhlobo lamuntu. Idolobho lalisesigodini eduze leBhethi-Rehobhi. AbakoDani balakha kutsha idolobho lelo bahlala kulo.
And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no dealings with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built the city, and dwelt therein.
29 Balibiza ngokuthi yiDani ibizo likakhokho wabo uDani, owayezalwa ngu-Israyeli, lanxa idolobho lalikade lithiwa yiLayishi.
And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
30 AbakoDani bazimisela izithombe khona, njalo uJonathani indodana kaGeshomu, indodana kaMosi, lamadodana akhe babengabaphristi besizwana sikaDani kwaze kwaba yisikhathi sokuthunjwa kwelizwe.
And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 Baqhubeka basebenzisa izithombe ezazenziwe nguMikha, ngasosonke isikhathi indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.
So they set them up Micah’s graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
