Atemmufo 18
1 Saa bere no mu na Israel nni ɔhene. Na Dan abusuakuw rehwehwɛ baabi atena, efisɛ na wontumi mpam nnipa a wɔte asase a wɔde maa wɔn no so.
In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2 Enti mmarima a wofi Dan abusuakuw yii akofo baanum a na wɔte Sora ne Estaol sɛ wɔnkɔhwehwɛ asase a wobetumi atena so. Bere a saa akofo yi duu Efraim bepɔw asase so no, wɔkɔɔ Mika fi kɔdaa hɔ anadwo no.
So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
3 Wotiee Lewini aberante no sɛnea na ɔrekasa no, wɔde no kɔɔ nkyɛn bisaa no se, “Hena na ɔde wo baa ha na dɛn na woreyɛ? Na adɛn nti na wowɔ ha?”
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4 Ɔkaa nhyehyɛe a ɔne Mika ayɛ kyerɛɛ wɔn na ɔkyerɛɛ mu sɛ, ɔyɛ ɔsɔfo ma Mika.
“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5 Na wɔkae se, “Bisa Awurade ma yɛn sɛ yɛn akwantu yi besi yiye anaasɛ ɛrensi yiye.”
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6 Ɔsɔfo no kae se, “Monkɔ no asomdwoe mu, efisɛ, Awurade bedi mo anim wɔ mo akwantu no mu.”
And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7 Na mmarima baanum no kɔɔ kurow bi a wɔfrɛ no Lais mu. Wohuu sɛ nnipa a hwee mfa wɔn ho te sɛ Sidonfo na wɔte hɔ. Na wɔwɔ asomdwoe ne bammɔ. Na nnipa no wɔ sika, efisɛ na wɔn asase no yɛ asase bere. Na wɔne Sidon ntam twe yiye, na wɔne obiara nni twaka.
So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, tranquil and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
8 Bere a wɔsan kɔɔ Sora ne Estaol no, wɔn nuanom bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na muhui?”
When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9 Na wobuae se, “Momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ wɔn so! Yɛahu asase no na eye pa ara. Monntwentwɛn mo anan ase koraa, monkɔfa asase no.
They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
10 Sɛ mudu hɔ a, mubehu nnipa a hwee mfa wɔn ho wɔ hɔ. Onyankopɔn ama yɛn asase bere yantamm a biribiara wɔ so.”
When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
11 Enti akofo ahansia a wofi Dan abusuakuw mu sii mu fii Sora ne Estaol.
So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12 Wɔkyeree nsraban wɔ beae bi a ɛwɔ Kiriat-Yearim atɔe fam wɔ Yuda asase so. Wɔfrɛ hɔ Mahane Dan besi nnɛ.
They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
13 Wofi hɔ no, wɔkɔɔ Efraim bepɔw asase no so, baa Mika fi.
And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 Enti mmarima baanum a wɔkɔsraa Lais asase no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔaka no se, “Nsɔree so bi wɔ ha a asɔfotade kronkron, abusua ahoni, ne ohoni a wɔagu ho wɔ hɔ. Munim nea ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ.”
Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
15 Enti mmarima baanum no kɔɔ Mika fi, faako a Lewini aberante no te na wokyiaa no fɛw so.
So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16 Saa bere no na akofo ahansia a wofi Dan abusuakuw mu no gyinagyina abɔntenpon no ano pɛɛ,
The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17 na akwansrafo baanum no kɔɔ nsɔree so hɔ, kɔfaa ohoni, asɔfotade kronkron, ne abusua ahoni no.
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 Bere a ɔsɔfo no huu sɛ mmarima no retwe akronkronne no afi Mika nsɔree so hɔ no, obisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na moreyɛ yi?”
When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 Wobuaa no se, “Mua wʼano! Di yɛn akyi na bɛyɛ yɛn nyinaa agya ne yɛn sɔfo. Wunnye nni sɛ eye sɛ wobɛyɛ Israel abusuakuw bi sɔfo sen sɛ wobɛyɛ onipa baako fi mu sɔfo?”
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
20 Ɔsɔfo aberante no ani gyei sɛ ɔne wɔn bɛkɔ. Enti ɔfaa asɔfotade kronkron no, abusua ahoni ne ohoni a wɔagu no.
So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21 Wosii mu bio de wɔn mma, nyɛmmoa ne wɔn agyapade, dii wɔn anim.
Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22 Bere a Dan abusuakuw mu nnipa no afi Mika fi kɔ akyirikyiri no, Mika ne nʼafipamfo mu bi tiw wɔn.
After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
23 Wɔbɛn wɔn no wɔteɛteɛɛ mu. Na Dan mmarima no dan wɔn ani kae se, “Dɛn na morehwehwɛ? Adɛn nti na woafrɛ nnipa yi aboa ano na moretaa yɛn sɛɛ?”
When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
24 Mika buae se, “Wubisa sɛ dɛn na worehwehwɛ a na wokyerɛ dɛn? Moafa mʼanyame nyinaa ne me sɔfo, na minni hwee bio!”
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
25 Dan mmarima no buae se, “Hwɛ nea woreka no yiye! Yɛn mu bi bo nkyɛ fuw, anhwɛ a wɔn bo befuw na wɔakum wo ne wʼabusuafo.”
The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
26 Enti Dan mmarima no toaa so kɔɔ wɔn kwan. Mika huu sɛ nnipa no dɔɔso a enti ontumi ntow nhyɛ wɔn so no, ɔdan ne ho kɔɔ fie.
So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
27 Dan mmarima faa Mika ahoni ne ne sɔfo no de wɔn baa kurow Lais a emu nnipa wɔ asomdwoe ne bammɔ no mu. Wɔtow hyɛɛ emu nnipa no so, kunkum wɔn nyinaa, hyew kurow no dwerɛbee.
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a tranquil and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
28 Na obiara nni hɔ a obegye kurow no mufo, efisɛ na nea wɔte no ne Sidon mu twe na wonni adɔfo a wɔbɛn nso. Saa asɛm yi sii wɔ obon a ɛbɛn Bet-Rehob no mu. Afei, Dan abusuakuw no mma san kyekyeree kurow no, na wɔtenaa hɔ.
There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29 Wɔde kurow no too Dan a ɔyɛ wɔn tete agya Israel no ba, na kan no wɔfrɛ hɔ Lais.
They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
30 Afei, wogyinaa ohoni a wɔagu no na wɔfaa Gersom babarima Yonatan a ɔyɛ Mose aseni sɛ wɔn sɔfo. Saa ofi yi mu nnipa kɔɔ so yɛɛ asɔfo maa Dan abusuakuw kosii Otukɔ bere.
The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31 Enti Dan abusuakuw no toaa so som ohoni a ɛyɛ Mika dea no wɔ bere tenten a na Onyankopɔn Ahyiae Ntamadan no wɔ Silo.
So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.
