Abahluleli 18
1 Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayeli; langalezonsuku isizwe sakoDani sazidingela ilifa lokuhlala, ngoba kuze kube ngalolosuku babengawelwanga yilifa phakathi kwezizwe zakoIsrayeli.
In those days, there was no king in Israel. And the tribe of Dan sought a possession for themselves, so that they might live in it. For even to that day, they had not received their lot among the other tribes.
2 Abantwana bakoDani basebethuma amadoda amahlanu avela kusendo lwabo esuka emaphethelweni abo, amaqhawe, evela eZora leEshitawoli, ukuhlola ilizwe lokuliphenya. Basebesithi kuwo: Hambani liphenye ilizwe. Asefika entabeni yakoEfrayimi, endlini kaMika, alala khona.
Therefore, the sons of Dan sent five very strong men, of their stock and family, from Zorah and Eshtaol, so that they might explore the land and diligently inspect it. And they said to them, “Go, and consider the land.” And after traveling, they arrived at mount Ephraim, and they entered into the house of Micah. There they rested.
3 Esendlini kaMika wona alazi ilizwi lejaha umLevi; asephendukela khona athi kuye: Ngubani owakuletha lapha? Njalo wenzani lapha? Njalo ulani lapha?
And they recognized the speech of the youth who was a Levite. And while making use of an inn with him, they said to him: “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? For what reason did you want to come here?”
4 Wasesithi kiwo: UMika ungenzele kanje lakanje; ungiqhatshile, sengingumpristi wakhe.
And he answered them, “Micah has offered me one thing and another, and he has paid me wages, so that I may be his priest.”
5 Asesithi kuye: Ake ubuze uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi ukuthi indlela yethu esihamba ngayo izaphumelela yini.
Then they begged him to consult the Lord, so that they might be able to know whether the journey they undertook would be prosperous, and whether the matter would have success.
6 Umpristi wasesithi kibo: Hambani ngokuthula. Indlela yenu elihamba ngayo iphambi kweNkosi.
And he responded to them, “Go in peace. The Lord looks with favor on your path, and on the journey that you have undertaken.”
7 Asehamba lawomadoda amahlanu, ayafika eLayishi, abona abantu abaphakathi kwayo, behlezi bonwabile, ngokwendlela yamaSidoni, belokuthula, bengethuki lutho, kwakungelamahluleli elizweni ukubathiba, babekhatshana lamaSidoni, bengasebenzelani lamuntu.
And so the five men, going on, arrived at Laish. And they saw the people, living in it without any fear, according to the custom of the Sidonians, secure and peaceful, having hardly anyone to oppose them, and with great wealth, and living separately, far from Sidon and from all men.
8 Asefika kubafowabo eZora leEshitawoli, abafowabo basebesithi kuwo: Lithini?
And they returned to their brothers at Zorah and Eshtaol, who questioned them as to what they had done. And they responded:
9 Asesithi: Sukumani asenyuke simelane labo, ngoba sibonile ilizwe, khangelani-ke, lihle kakhulu; pho lina lithule? Lingavilaphi ukuyangena ukudla ilifa lelizwe.
“Rise up. Let us ascend to them. For we have seen that the land is very wealthy and fruitful. Do not delay; do not refrain. Let us go out and possess it. There will be no difficulty.
10 Ekufikeni kwenu khona lizafika ebantwini abonwabileyo lelizweni elibanzi inhlangothi zombili, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni senu; indawo lapho okungasweleki lutho khona elizweni.
We shall enter to those who dwell securely, in a very wide region, and the Lord will deliver the place to us, a place in which there is no lack of anything that grows upon the earth.”
11 Asesuka lapho evela kusendo lwabakoDani eZora leEshitawoli amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ehlomile izikhali zempi,
And so, those of the kindred of Dan set out, that is, six hundred men from Zorah and Eshtaol, girded with the weapons of warfare.
12 enyuka amisa inkamba eKiriyathi-Jeyarimi koJuda. Ngenxa yalokho ayibiza leyondawo ngokuthi yiMahane-Dani kuze kube lamuhla; khangela isemuva kweKiriyathi-Jeyarimi.
And going up, they stayed at Kiriath-jearim of Judah. And so the place, from that time, received the name the Camp of Dan, and it is behind the back of Kiriath-jearim.
13 Asesedlula esuka lapho, aya entabeni yakoEfrayimi, afika endlini kaMika.
From there, they crossed over to mount Ephraim. And when they had arrived at the house of Micah,
14 Khona amadoda amahlanu ayehambile ukuhlola ilizwe iLayishi aphendula athi kubafowabo: Liyazi yini ukuthi kulezizindlu kukhona i-efodi lamatherafi lesithombe esibaziweyo lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa? Ngakho-ke cabangani elizakwenza.
the five men, who before had been sent to consider the land of Laish, said to the rest of their brothers: “You know that in these houses there is an ephod and theraphim, and a molten idol and a graven image. Consider what it may please you to do.”
15 Asephambukela khona, aya endlini yejaha umLevi endlini kaMika, ambuza impilo.
And when they had turned aside a little, they entered the house of the Levite youth, who was in the house of Micah. And they greeted him with peaceful words.
16 Amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ayehlomile ngezikhali zempi, ayengabantwana bakoDani, asesima ekungeneni kwesango.
Now the six hundred men, who were all armed, were standing before the door.
17 Lawomadoda amahlanu ayehambile ukuhlola ilizwe enyuka angena lapho athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, le-efodi, lamatherafi, lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa, umpristi esemi ekungeneni kwesango lamadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ayebhince izikhali zempi.
But those who had entered the house of the youth strove to take away the graven image, and the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. But the priest was standing in front of the door, with the six hundred very strong men waiting not far away.
18 La-ke esengenile endlini kaMika athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, i-efodi, lamatherafi, lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa, umpristi wathi kiwo: Lenzani?
And so, those who had entered took away the graven image, the ephod, and the theraphim, and the molten idol. And the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 Asesithi kuye: Thula, bamba umlomo wakho, uhambe lathi, ube ngubaba kithi lompristi. Kungcono yini ukuthi ube ngumpristi wendlu yomuntu oyedwa kumbe ukuthi ube ngumpristi wesizwe losendo lwakoIsrayeli?
And they responded to him: “Be silent and place your finger over your mouth. And come with us, so that we may have you as a father as well as a priest. For which is better for you: to be a priest in the house of one man, or in one tribe and family in Israel?”
20 Lenhliziyo yompristi yathokoza, wasethatha i-efodi lamatherafi lesithombe esibaziweyo, wangena phakathi kwabantu.
And when he had heard this, he agreed to their words. And he took the ephod, and the idols, and the graven image, and he set out with them.
21 Basebephenduka behamba, babeka abantwanyana lezifuyo lempahla phambi kwabo.
And while traveling, they had also sent the children, and the cattle, and all that was valuable to go ahead of them.
22 Sebekhatshana lomuzi kaMika, amadoda ayesezindlini ezaziseduze lendlu kaMika abizelwa ndawonye abafica abantwana bakoDani.
And when they were far from the house of Micah, the men who were living in the houses of Micah, crying out together, followed them.
23 Amemeza abantwana bakoDani. Basebephendula ubuso babo bathi kuMika: Ulani ukuze libuthane?
And they began to shout behind their backs. And when they had looked back, they said to Micah: “What do you want? Why are you crying out?”
24 Wasesithi: Lithethe onkulunkulu bami engabenzayo, lompristi, lahamba; pho ngiseselani? Kuyini lokho elikutsho kimi: Uhlutshwa yini?
And he responded: “You have taken away my gods, which I made for myself, and the priest, and all that I have. And do you say, ‘What is it that you want?’”
25 Abantwana bakoDani basebesithi kuye: Ilizwi lakho kalingezwakali phakathi kwethu, hlezi amadoda alolaka akuhlasele, ulahlekelwe yimpilo yakho lempilo yabendlu yakho.
And the sons of Dan said to him, “Take care that you no longer speak to us, otherwise men with a mind for violence may overwhelm you, and you yourself would perish with all your house.”
26 Basebezihambela ngendlela yabo abantwana bakoDani. Lapho uMika esebonile ukuthi balamandla kulaye, waphenduka wabuyela endlini yakhe.
And so, they continued on the journey that they had begun. But Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, returned to his house.
27 Bona basebethatha lokho uMika ayekwenzile lompristi owayelaye, bafika eLayishi ebantwini ababelokuthula bengethuki lutho, babatshaya ngobukhali benkemba, batshisa umuzi ngomlilo.
Now the six hundred men took the priest, and the things we stated above, and they went to Laish, to a people quiet and secure, and they struck them down with the edge of the sword. And they burned the city with fire.
28 Njalo kwakungekho umkhululi, ngoba wawukhatshana leSidoni, bengasebenzelani lamuntu. Wawusesihotsheni esasingaseBeti-Rehobi. Basebesakha umuzi, bahlala kiwo.
For no one at all sent reinforcements, because they lived far away from Sidon, and they had no association or business with any man. Now the city was situated in the region of Rehob. And building it up again, they lived in it,
29 Basebebiza ibizo lomuzi ngokuthi yiDani ngebizo likaDani uyise owazalelwa uIsrayeli. Kodwa ibizo lomuzi laliyiLayishi kuqala.
calling the name of the city Dan, according to the name of their father, who had been born of Israel, though before it was called Laish.
30 Abantwana bakoDani basebezimisela isithombe esibaziweyo. Njalo uJonathani indodana kaGereshoma, indodana kaManase, yena lamadodana akhe babengabapristi besizwe sakoDani kwaze kwaba lusuku lokuthunjwa kwelizwe.
And they established for themselves the graven image. And Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, with his sons, were priests in the tribe of Dan, even until the day of their captivity.
31 Basebezimisela isithombe esibaziweyo sikaMika ayesenzile, zonke izinsuku indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.
And the idol of Micah remained with them during the entire time that the house of God was in Shiloh. In those days, there was no king in Israel.
