Waamuzi 18
1 Siku hizo hapakuwa na mfalme huko Israeli. Kabila la Wadani lilikuwa linatafuta makazi ya kuishi, kwa maana mpaka siku hiyo hawakupokea urithi wowote kutoka 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 Watu wa Dani walituma watu watano kutoka kwa idadi yote ya kabila lao, wanaume wenye ujasiri kutoka Sora na kutoka Eshtaoi, ili kukagua ardhi kwa miguu, na kuiangalia. Wakawaambia, “Nendeni mkaangalie nchi.' Wakafika nchi ya mlima wa Efraimu, kwa nyumba ya Mika wakalala huko.
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 Walipokuwa karibu na nyumba ya Mika, walitambua maneno ya Mlawi. Basi wakamsimama na kumwuliza, “Nani alikuleta hapa? Unafanya nini 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 Akawaambia, “Hivi ndivyo Mika amefanya kwa ajili yangu Yeye aliniajiri mimi kuwa kahani wake.”
“Micah arranged things for me, and he hired me as his priest,” he told them.
5 Wakamwambia, “Tafadhali tafuta ushauri kwa Mungu, ili tuweze kujua kama safari tunayoendea itafanikiwa.”
“Please ask the Lord for us so we can find out if our journey will be successful,” they asked him.
6 Kuhani huyo akawaambia, “Nenda kwa amani. Bwana atakuongoza katika njia unayoiendea.”
“Go in peace,” the priest replied. “The journey you are taking is being observed by the Lord.”
7 Kisha wale watu watano wakaondoka na wakafika Laishia, na waliona watu waliokuwa pale waliishi salama- vivyo hivyo Wasidoni waliishi bila kusumbuliwa na kwa usalama. Hapakuwa na mtu aliyewashinda katika nchi hiyo, au aliyewasumbua kwa namna yoyote. Waliishi mbali na Wasidoni, na hawakuwa na ushirikiano 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 Walirudi kwa kabila lao huko Zora na Eshtaol. Ndugu zao waliwauliza, 'Mna habari gani?'
The men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their relatives asked them, “What did you…?”
9 Wakasema, “Njoo! Hebu tuwashambulie! Tumeona ardhi na ni nzuri sana. Je hamfanyi kitu? Msiwe wavivu kushambulia na kuchukua ardhi.
“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 Mnapoenda, mtakuta watu wanaofikiri wapo salama, na nchi ni pana! Mungu amewapa ninyi-mahali ambako hapajapungukiwa kitu chochote 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 Watu mia sita wa kabila la Dani, wenye silaha za vita, waliondoka kutoka Sora na Eshtaoli.
So six hundred Danite armed men left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready to attack.
12 Wakasafiri, wakapanga Kiriath-yearimu, huko Yuda. Ndio maana watu walipaita mahali pale Mahane Dani hata leo; ni magharibi ya Kiriath yearimu.
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 Wakaondoka huko na kwenda nchi ya mlima wa Efraimu, wakafika nyumbani kwa Mika.
Then they left from there and went into the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah's house.
14 Kisha watu watano waliokuwa wamekwenda kutazama nchi ya Laisha waliwaambia jamaa zao, “Je, mnajua kwamba katika nyumba hizi kuna efodi, miungu ya kaya, sanamu zilizochongwa, na sanamu za chuma? Amua sasa utakachofanya.”
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 wakarudi huko, wakafika nyumbani mwa Mlawi, nyumbani mwa Mika; wakamsalimu.
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 Wana Daniani mia sita, wenye silaha za vita, walisimama kwenye maingilio ya lango.
The six hundred Danite armed men stood at the entrance by the gate.
17 Wale watu watano waliokuwa wamekwenda kutembelea nchi walikwenda huko na wakachukua sanamu zilizochongwa, efodi, na miungu ya nyumba, na sanamu ya chuma, wakati kuhani alipokuwa amesimama kwenye maingilio ya lango na wanaume mia sita wenye 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 Walipokuwa wakiingia nyumbani kwa Mika na kuchukua sanamu zilizochongwa, efodi, miungu ya nyumba, na sanamu za chuma, kuhani akasema, “mnafanya nini?”
When the priest saw them taking all the religious objects from Micah's home, he asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 Wakamwambia, “Tulia! Weka mkono wako kwenye kinywa chako na uje nasi, na uwe kwetu baba na kuhani. Je, ni bora kuwa wewe kuhani kwa ajili ya nyumba ya mtu mmoja, au kuhani kwa kabila na jamaa katika Israeli?”
“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 Moyo wa kuhani ulifurahi. Akachukua efodi, miungu ya nyumba, na sanamu ya kuchongwa, akaenda pamoja na hao 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 Basi wakageuka wakaenda. Wameweka watoto wadogo mbele yao wenyewe, pamoja na ng'ombe na mali zao.
They continued their journey, putting their children, livestock, and possessions ahead of them.
22 Walipokuwa umbali mzuri kutoka kwa nyumba ya Mika, watu waliokuwa ndani ya nyumba iliyo karibu na nyumba ya Mika waliitwa, 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 Waliwapigia kelele Wadani, nao wakageuka, wakamwambia Mika, “Kwa nini mmekuja pamoja?
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 Akasema, “ninyi mmeiba miungu niliyoifanya, mmemchukua kuhani wangu, na mnaondoka. Je, nina nini tena? Unawezaje kuniuliza, 'Ni nini kinachokusumbua?'”
“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 'Watu wa Dani wakamwambia,” Usiruhusu tusikie chochote unachosema, au baadhi ya watu wenye hasira sana watawapiga, wewe na familia yako mtauawa.”
“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 Ndipo watu wa Dani wakaenda zao. Mika alipoona kwamba walikuwa na nguvu sana juu yake, 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 Watu wa Dani walichukua kile alichokifanya Mika, pamoja na kuhani wake, na wakafika Laisha, kwa watu waliokuwa hawasumbuliwi na wenye usalama na salama wakawaua kwa upanga na kuuchoma mji huo.
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 mtu wa kuwaokoa kwa sababu palikuwa na umbali mrefu kutoka Sidoni, na hawakuwa na uhusiano na mtu yeyote. Palikuwa katika bonde lililo karibu na Beth Rehobu. Wadani wakaujenga mji na kuishi huko.
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 jina lake Dani, jina la baba zao Dani, ambaye alikuwa mmoja wa wana wa Israeli. Lakini jina la mji hapo mwanzo ulikuwa Laisha.
They renamed the city Dan after their forefather, the son of Israel. Laish was its former name.
30 Watu wa Dani walijenga sanamu za kuchonga wenyewe. Naye Yonathani, mwana wa Gershomu, mwana wa Musa, yeye na wanawe walikuwa makuhani wa kabila la Wadani mpaka siku ya uhamisho wa nchi.
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 Basi wakaiabudu sanamu ya kuchonga ya Mika aliyoifanya wakati wa nyumba ya Mungu huko Shilo.
They worshiped the carved idol that Micah had made the whole time God's Temple was at Shiloh.
