Waamuzi 18
1 Katika siku hizo Israeli walikuwa hawana mfalme. Katika siku hizo kabila la Wadani walikuwa wanatafuta mahali pao wenyewe pa kuishi, kwa sababu walikuwa hawajafika kwenye urithi wao miongoni mwa makabila ya Israeli.
At that time Israel didn't have a king. The tribe of Dan was looking for territory where they could live, because up until then they hadn't gained possession of the land granted to them among the tribes of Israel.
2 Hivyo Wadani wakatuma mashujaa watano kutoka Sora na Eshtaoli ili kupeleleza nchi na kuichunguza. Hawa watu waliwakilisha koo zao zote. Waliwaambia, “Nendeni mkaichunguze hiyo nchi.” Watu hao wakaingia katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, nao wakafika nyumba ya Mika, ambako walilala usiku huo.
So the Danites chose from among them five leading men from Zorah and Eshtaol to scout out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. When the men came to the hill country of Ephraim, they arrived at Micah's house where they spent the night.
3 Walipofika karibu na nyumba ya Mika, waliitambua sauti ya yule kijana Mlawi; hivyo wakaingia humo na kumuuliza, “Ni nani aliyekuleta hapa? Unafanya nini mahali hapa? Kwa nini uko hapa?”
While they were there, they recognized the young Levite's accent, so they went to him and asked him, “So who brought you here, and what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 Akawaeleza yale Mika aliyomtendea, naye akasema, “Ameniajiri nami ni kuhani wake.”
“Micah arranged things for me, and he hired me as his priest,” he told them.
5 Kisha wakamwambia, “Tafadhali tuulizie kwa Mungu kama safari yetu itafanikiwa.”
“Please ask the Lord for us so we can find out if our journey will be successful,” they asked him.
6 Yule kuhani akawajibu, “Enendeni kwa amani. Safari yenu ina kibali cha Bwana.”
“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “The journey you are taking is being observed by the Lord.”
7 Basi hao watu watano wakaondoka na kufika Laishi, mahali ambapo waliwakuta watu wanaishi salama, kama Wasidoni, kwa utulivu na bila mashaka. Nchi yao haikupungukiwa na kitu chochote, hivyo wakawa tajiri. Pia walikaa mbali sana na Wasidoni, wala hawakushughulika na mtu yeyote.
The five men left and went to the town of Laish. They observed that the people there lived in safety, and followed the customs of the Sidonians. The people were unsuspecting and confident of their security, at home in a productive land. They didn't have a strong ruler, they lived a long way from the Sidonians, and had no other allies to help them.
8 Waliporudi kwa ndugu zao huko Sora na Eshtaoli, ndugu zao wakawauliza, “Mlionaje mambo huko?”
The men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you…?”
9 Wakajibu, “Twendeni, tukapigane nao! Tumeona kuwa nchi ni nzuri sana. Je, hamtafanya chochote? Msisite kupanda ili kuimiliki.
“Come on, let's go and attack them!” the men interrupted. “We've surveyed the land, and it's excellent! Aren't you going to do something? Don't put off going there and occupying the land!
10 Mtakapokwenda huko mtakuta watu waliotulia walio salama, nayo nchi hiyo ni kubwa na Mungu ameitia mikononi mwenu, nayo ni nchi ambayo haikupungukiwa na kitu chochote kilicho duniani.”
When you get there you'll find the people are unsuspecting and the land is extensive. God has given you a place where there's no shortage of anything!”
11 Ndipo watu 600 toka ukoo wa Wadani, waliojifunga silaha za vita, wakaondoka Sora na Eshtaoli.
So six hundred Danite armed men left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready to attack.
12 Walipokuwa wakisafiri wakapiga kambi huko Kiriath-Yearimu katika Yuda. Hii ndiyo sababu sehemu ya magharibi ya Kiriath-Yearimu inaitwa Mahane-Dani mpaka leo.
En route they camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That's why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called the Camp of Dan to this very day.
13 Kutoka hapo wakaendelea mbele mpaka nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu na kufika katika nyumba ya Mika.
Then they left from there and went into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.
14 Ndipo wale watu watano waliopeleleza nchi ya Laishi wakawaambia ndugu zao, “Je, mwajua kuwa mojawapo ya nyumba hizi kuna naivera, sanamu ndogo za nyumbani, sanamu ya kuchonga na sanamu ya kusubu? Sasa basi fikirini mtakalofanya.”
Then the five men who had gone to scout out the land of Laish told the other tribesmen, “Do you realize that here in these houses there's an ephod, household gods, and a carved idol, an image made with molten silver? So you know what you should do.”
15 Basi wakaingia humo na kwenda kwenye nyumba ya yule kijana Mlawi katika nyumba ya Mika na kumsalimu.
The five men left the road and went to where the young Levite was living in Micah's home to ask how he was.
16 Wale Wadani 600, waliovaa silaha za vita, wakasimama penye ingilio la lango.
The six hundred Danite armed men stood at the entrance by the gate.
17 Wale watu watano waliokwenda kupeleleza nchi wakaingia ndani na kuchukua ile sanamu ya kuchonga, ile naivera, na zile sanamu nyingine ndogo za nyumbani pamoja na ile sanamu ya kusubu, wakati yule kuhani akiwa amesimama pale penye ingilio la lango pamoja na wale watu 600 waliokuwa wamejifunga silaha za vita.
The five men went inside and took the carved idol, the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver. The priest was standing by the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 Hao watu walipoingia katika nyumba ya Mika na kuchukua ile sanamu ya kuchonga, ile naivera, na zile sanamu nyingine ndogo za nyumbani, pamoja na ile sanamu ya kusubu, yule kuhani akawauliza, “Mnafanya nini?”
When the priest saw them taking all the religious objects from Micah's home, he asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 Wakamjibu, “Nyamaza kimya! Weka mkono wako juu ya kinywa chako na ufuatane nasi, uwe baba yetu na kuhani wetu. Si ni afadhali utumikie kabila na ukoo katika Israeli kama kuhani kuliko kumtumikia mtu mmoja na watu wa nyumbani mwake?”
“Be quiet! Don't say anything! Come with us, and you can be our ‘father’ and priest. Wouldn't it be better for you if instead of being a priest for just one man's household that you were the priest of an Israelite tribe and family?”
20 Yule kuhani akafurahi. Akachukua ile naivera, zile sanamu nyingine ndogo za nyumbani, na sanamu ya kuchonga, naye akaenda pamoja na wale watu.
This seemed like a good idea to the priest and he left with them. Carrying the ephod, the household idols, and the image made with molten silver, he marched with the people all around him.
21 Ndipo wakageuka na kuondoka wakiwatanguliza mbele watoto wao wadogo, wanyama wao wa kufugwa na mali zao.
They continued their journey, putting their children, livestock, and possessions ahead of them.
22 Walipokuwa wamesafiri umbali kidogo toka nyumbani kwa Mika, watu walioishi karibu na Mika wakaitwa wakakusanyika pamoja, nao wakawafikia Wadani.
The Danites were already quite a way from Micah's home when men from Micah's village caught up with them,
23 Walipofuatilia wakipiga kelele Wadani wakawageukia na kumwambia Mika, “Una nini wewe hata ukaja na kundi la watu namna hii ili kupigana?”
shouting at them. The Danites turned around to face them and asked Micah, “What's the matter with you? Why call out these men to come after us?”
24 Akawajibu, “Mmechukua miungu yote niliyoitengeneza, mkachukua na kuhani wangu, nanyi mkaondoka. Nimebaki na nini kingine? Mnawezaje kuniuliza, ‘Una nini wewe?’”
“You stole the gods I made, and my priest too, and then left. What have you left me with? How can you ask me, ‘What's the matter with you?’”
25 Wadani wakamjibu, “Usibishane na sisi, la sivyo watu wenye hasira kali watakushambulia, nawe na watu wa nyumbani mwako mtapoteza maisha.”
“Don't complain to us!” Danites replied. “Otherwise some hot-tempered people here might attack you and you and your family will lose your lives!”
26 Basi Wadani wakaenda zao, naye Mika alipoona kuwa wana nguvu kumliko yeye, akageuka na kurudi nyumbani kwake.
The Danites carried on their way. Micah saw that they were too strong for him to fight so he turned around and went back home.
27 Kisha wakachukua vile Mika alivyokuwa ametengeneza, na kuhani wake, wakaendelea hadi Laishi, dhidi ya watu walio na amani, wasiokuwa na wasiwasi. Wakawashambulia kwa upanga na kuuteketeza mji wao kwa moto.
So the Danites took with them the idols that Micah had made, as well as his priest. They attacked Laish with its peaceful and unsuspecting people, killed them with swords, and burned down the town.
28 Hapakuwa na yeyote wa kuwaokoa, kwa kuwa kulikuwa mbali sana na Sidoni na hawakuwa na ushirikiano na mtu mwingine yeyote. Mji ulikuwa kwenye bonde karibu na Beth-Rehobu. Wadani wakaujenga upya huo mji na kuishi humo.
No one could save them because they were a long way from Sidon and had no other allies to help them. The town was in the valley belonging to Beth-rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 Wakauita ule mji Dani kwa kufuata jina la baba yao aliyezaliwa na Israeli, ingawa mji huo ulikuwa ukiitwa Laishi hapo kwanza.
They renamed the city Dan after their forefather, the son of Israel. Laish was its former name.
30 Kisha Wadani wakajisimamishia sanamu ile ya kuchonga, naye Yonathani mwana wa Gershomu, mwana wa Mose pamoja na wanawe walikuwa makuhani wa kabila la Wadani mpaka nchi hiyo ilipotekwa.
The Danites erected the carved idol to worship, and Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons became priests for the tribe of Dan until the time when the people went into captivity from the land.
31 Wakaisimamisha na kuiabudu hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga ya Mika aliyokuwa ameitengeneza, wakati wote ule nyumba ya Mungu ilipokuwa huko Shilo.
They worshiped the carved idol that Micah had made the whole time God's Temple was at Shiloh.
