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 in those days the Danites were looking for a heritage for themselves, to be their living-place; for up to that time no distribution of land had been made to them 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 children of Dan sent five men from among their number, strong men, from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to take a look at the land and make a search through it; and they said to them, Go and make a search through the land; and they came to the hill-country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, where they made a stop for 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?”

When they were near the house of Micah, hearing a voice which was not strange to them, that of the young Levite, they went out of their road to his place, and said to him, How did you come here? and what are you doing in this place? and why are you here?

4 Ɔkaa nhyehyɛe a ɔne Mika ayɛ kyerɛɛ wɔn na ɔkyerɛɛ mu sɛ, ɔyɛ ɔsɔfo ma Mika.

And he said to them, This is what Micah did for me, and he gave me payment and I became his priest.

5 Na wɔkae se, “Bisa Awurade ma yɛn sɛ yɛn akwantu yi besi yiye anaasɛ ɛrensi yiye.”

Then they said, Do get directions from God for us, to see if the journey on which we are going will have a good outcome.

6 Ɔsɔfo no kae se, “Monkɔ no asomdwoe mu, efisɛ, Awurade bedi mo anim wɔ mo akwantu no mu.”

And the priest said to them, Go in peace: your way is guided by the Lord.

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.

Then the five men went on their way and came to Laish and saw the people who were there, living without thought of danger, like the Zidonians, quiet and safe; for they had everything on earth for their needs, and they were far from the Zidonians and had no business with Aram.

8 Bere a wɔsan kɔɔ Sora ne Estaol no, wɔn nuanom bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na muhui?”

So they came back to their brothers in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their brothers said to them, What news have you?

9 Na wobuae se, “Momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ wɔn so! Yɛahu asase no na eye pa ara. Monntwentwɛn mo anan ase koraa, monkɔfa asase no.

And they said, Up! and let us go against Laish; for we have seen the land, and it is very good: why are you doing nothing? Do not be slow to go in and take the land for your heritage.

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 come there you will come to a people living without thought of danger; and the land is wide, and God has given it into your hands: a place where there is everything on earth for man's needs.

11 Enti akofo ahansia a wofi Dan abusuakuw mu sii mu fii Sora ne Estaol.

So six hundred men of the Danites from Zorah and Eshtaol went out armed with instruments of war.

12 Wɔkyeree nsraban wɔ beae bi a ɛwɔ Kiriat-Yearim atɔe fam wɔ Yuda asase so. Wɔfrɛ hɔ Mahane Dan besi nnɛ.

And they went up and put up their tents in Kiriath-jearim in Judah: so that place is named Mahaneh-dan to this day. It is to the west of Kiriath-jearim.

13 Wofi hɔ no, wɔkɔɔ Efraim bepɔw asase no so, baa Mika fi.

From there they went on to the hill-country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah.

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 make a search through the country of Laish, said to their brothers, Have you knowledge that in these houses there is an ephod and family gods and a pictured image and a metal image? So now you see what to do.

15 Enti mmarima baanum no kɔɔ Mika fi, faako a Lewini aberante no te na wokyiaa no fɛw so.

And turning from their road they came to the house of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and said to him, Is it well with you?

16 Saa bere no na akofo ahansia a wofi Dan abusuakuw mu no gyinagyina abɔntenpon no ano pɛɛ,

And the six hundred armed men of the Danites took their places by the doorway.

17 na akwansrafo baanum no kɔɔ nsɔree so hɔ, kɔfaa ohoni, asɔfotade kronkron, ne abusua ahoni no.

Then the five men who had gone to make a search through the land, went in and took the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image; and the priest was by the doorway 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?”

And when they went into Micah's house and took out the pictured image and the ephod and the family gods and the metal image, 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?”

And they said to him, Be quiet; say nothing, and come with us and be our father and priest; is it better for you to be priest to one man's house or to be priest to a tribe and a 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.

Then the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod and the family gods and the pictured image and went with the people.

21 Wosii mu bio de wɔn mma, nyɛmmoa ne wɔn agyapade, dii wɔn anim.

So they went on their way again, putting the little ones and the oxen and the goods in front of them.

22 Bere a Dan abusuakuw mu nnipa no afi Mika fi kɔ akyirikyiri no, Mika ne nʼafipamfo mu bi tiw wɔn.

When they had gone some way from the house of Micah, the men from the houses near Micah's house came together and overtook the children of Dan,

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?”

Crying out to them. And the Danites, turning round, said to Micah, What is your trouble, that you have taken up arms?

24 Mika buae se, “Wubisa sɛ dɛn na worehwehwɛ a na wokyerɛ dɛn? Moafa mʼanyame nyinaa ne me sɔfo, na minni hwee bio!”

And he said, You have taken my gods which I made, and my priest, and have gone away; what is there for me now? Why then do you say to me, What is your trouble?

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.”

And the children of Dan said to him, Say no more, or men of bitter spirit may make an attack on you, causing loss of your life and the lives of your people.

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.

Then the children of Dan went on their way; and when Micah saw that they were stronger than he, he went back to his house.

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.

And they took that which Micah had made, and his priest, and came to Laish, to a people living quietly and without thought of danger, and they put them to the sword without mercy, burning down their town.

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.

And they had no saviour, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with Aram; and it was in the valley which is the property of Beth-rehob. And building up the town again they took it for their living-place.

29 Wɔde kurow no too Dan a ɔyɛ wɔn tete agya Israel no ba, na kan no wɔfrɛ hɔ Lais.

And they gave the town the name of Dan, after Dan their father, who was the son of Israel: though the town had been named Laish at first.

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.

(And the children of Dan put up the pictured image for themselves; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of the Danites till the day when the ark was taken prisoner.)

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.

And they put up for themselves the image which Micah had made, and it was there all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.