1 These things happened before kings ruled Israel.
The Tribe of Dan Takes Micah's Priest and Idols
About this time, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to live. The other tribes had land, but the people of Dan did not really have any to call their own. 2 The tribe chose five warriors to represent their clans and told them, “Go and find some land where we can live.”
The warriors left the area of Zorah and Eshtaol and went into the hill country of Ephraim. One night they stayed at Micah's house, 3 because they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, “What are you doing here? Who brought you here?”
4 The Levite replied, “Micah hired me as his priest.” Then he told them how well Micah had treated him.
5 “Please talk to God for us,” the men said. “Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do.”
6 “Don't worry,” answered the priest. “The Lord is pleased with what you are doing.”
7 The five men left and went to the town of Laish, whose people were from Sidon, but Sidon was too far away to protect them. Even though their town had no walls, the people thought they were safe from attack. So they had not asked anyone else for protection, which meant that the tribe of Dan could easily take over Laish.
8 The five men went back to Zorah and Eshtaol, where their relatives asked, “Did you find any land?”
9-10 “Let's go!” the five men said. “We saw some very good land with enough room for all of us, and it has everything we will ever need. What are you waiting for? Let's attack and take it. You'll find that the people think they're safe, but God is giving the land to us.”
11 Six hundred men from the tribe of Dan strapped on their weapons and left Zorah and Eshtaol with their families. 12 One night they camped near Kiriath-Jearim in the territory of Judah, and that's why the place just west of Kiriath-Jearim is still known as Dan's Camp. 13 Then they went into the hill country of Ephraim.
When they came close to Micah's house, 14 the five men who had been spies asked the other warriors, “Did you know that someone in this village has several idols and a sacred priestly vest? What do you think we should do about it?”
15-18 The 600 warriors left the road and went to the house on Micah's property where the young Levite priest lived. They stood at the gate and greeted the priest. Meanwhile, the five men who had been there before went into Micah's house and took the sacred priestly vest and the idols.
“Hey!” the priest shouted. “What do you think you're doing?”
19 “Quiet!” the men said. “Keep your mouth shut and listen. Why don't you come with us and be our priest, so you can tell us what God wants us to do? You could stay here and be a priest for one man's family, but wouldn't you rather be the priest for a clan or even a whole tribe of Israel?”
20 The priest really liked that idea. So he took the vest and the idols and joined the others 21 from the tribe of Dan. Then they turned and left, after putting their children, their cattle, and the rest of their other possessions in front.
22 They had traveled for some time before Micah asked his neighbors to help him get his things back. He and his men caught up with the people of Dan 23 and shouted for them to stop.
They turned to face him and asked, “What's wrong? Why did you bring all these men?”
24 Micah answered, “You know what's wrong. You stole the gods I made, and you took my priest. I don't have anything left.”
25 “We don't want to hear any more about it,” the people of Dan said. “And if you make us angry, you'll only get yourself and your family killed.” 26 After saying this, they turned and left.
Micah realized there was no way he could win a fight with them, and so he went back home.
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
27-28 The tribe of Dan took Micah's priest and the things Micah had made, and headed for Laish, which was located in a valley controlled by the town of Beth-Rehob. Laish was defenseless, because it had no walls and was too far from Sidon for the Sidonians to help defend it. The leaders of Laish had not even asked nearby towns to help them in case of an attack.
The warriors from Dan made a surprise attack on Laish, killing everyone and burning it down. Then they rebuilt the town and settled there themselves. 29 But they named it Dan, after one of Israel's sons, who was the ancestor of their tribe.
30-31 Even though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.
Mika nomuhoko wa Dan
1 Moruveze ndo kamwa ri ombara mOisrael. Nu momayuva ngo omuhoko wa Dan aa u paha orukondwa rwehi okutura mo. Nga koruveze ndo Ovadan kave na indu va kamburire ehi rorive okurira otjirumatwa tjawo mokati komihoko vyOvaisrael. 2 Ovadan otji va toorora ovarumendu vetano ozombanḓe mokati komaṱunḓu aehe womuhoko mbo, nave ve hindi okuza kotjihuro tja Sora notja Estaol okukahora nokukakonḓonona ehi. Nowo otji va ya kehi rozondundu ra Efraim, nave karara mondjuwo ya Mika. 3 Ngunda averi popezu nondjuwo ya Mika otji va zemburuka ombosiro yeraka romuzandu ngwi omutanda Omulevi. Nowo va hita mondjuwo nave mu pura nai: “Owaṋi ngwe ku eta nguno, nu muno mo ungura mo tjike, nu mo paha tjike?”
4 Neye wa zira a tja: “Ami na Mika twa zuvasana kutja me ndji sutu ondjambi nami memu karere otja omupristeri we.”
5 Nowo va tja ku ye: “Arikana kapure Ndjambi, kutja eṱe matu munu ouṋingandu mouyenda wetu.”
6 Nomupristeri we ve zira a tja: “Twendeye mohange! Muhona u ri puna eṋe mondjira yeṋu.”
7 Novarumendu mba vetano va ya nave kavaza kotjirongo Laish. Owo va muna kutja ovandu ngo va tura nokuhinatjipo tjimuna Ovasidon. Va ri ovandu vohange mba pora nu mbe ha ri nozombata nomundu worive; avihe mbyave hepa va ri na vyo. Nowo va turire kokure nOvasidon, nu kaave wana nOvaaramei. 8 Nu ovarumendu imba vetano tji va yaruka kOsora na Estaol, nomuhoko wa pura kutja va kamuna tjike. 9 Nowo va zira ave tja: “Sekameye tu keverwise! Eṱe ehi ndo twe ri munu, noro ewa tjinene. Amu kara mba nokuhina tji mamu ungura! Amu wombo, sekameye mu kawondje tu kakambure ehi ndo. 10 Nu tji mwa kavaza ngo, mamu kamuna otjiwaṋa otjihinangendo. Ehi ndo ra paranga komikuma avihe; Ndjambi wa yandja ehi ndo momake weṋu mu mu ha hepere otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe tji tji ri kombanda yehi ndi.”
11 Nu pa sekama ovarumendu omasere hamboumwe vomuhoko wa Dan okuza mOsora na Estaol, mbe ripangaṋa novirwise. 12 Nowo va katona ozondanda meṋe ya Kirjat-Jearim mOjuda; komuhingo mbwi poṋa mbo opu pa rukirwa kutja “Opozondanda za Dan” nga ku ndinondi; nu pe ri komukuma wokongurova kwa Kirjat-Jearim. 13 Okuzambo owo va ya kehi rozondundu ra Efraim nave ya ponganda ya Mika.
14 Novarumendu mba vetano, mba ire okukahora ehi ra Laish, va tja nai kovakwao: “Eṋe nai mamu tjiwa kutja mu imwe yozondjuwo nḓa mu na ombanda yokoviṱuve, noomukuru varwe vovisenginina, notjiserekarera tji tja hongwa nu ku kwa tuwa osilveri are? Ripureye nawa na ihi tji mamu sokutjita.” 15 Nowo va yaruka, ave ya ponganda ya Mika, ave hiti mondjuwo yomurumendu omutanda Omulevi nave mu korisa. 16 Imba ovarumendu omasere hamboumwe vomuhoko wa Dan mbe rirongerera ovita tjandje nai va kurama pomuvero worumbo. 17 Nozohoze ndano nḓa za hita osemba mondjuwo, naze toora otjiserekarera tji tja hongwa nu ku kwa tuwa osilveri, nombanda yokoviṱuve, noomukuru varwe vovisenginina wina. Nomupristeri tjandje nao wa kurama pomuvero puna ovarumendu ovarwe wovita omasere hamboumwe.
18 Novarumendu vetano mba tji va hita mondjuwo ya Mika nave toora oviṋa ovizere mbi, omupristeri otje ve pura a tja: “Mamu ungura tjike?”
19 Nowo va tja nai ku ye: “Mwina, o nyamukura, kayende puna eṱe; nu rira omuyandjandunge nomupristeri ku eṱe! Okokuwa kove okukara omupristeri wondjuwo yomurumendu umwe are? Poo okokuwa komeho yanao okurira omupristeri womuhoko nowonganda aihe yOvaisrael?” 20 Nu ingwi omupristeri wa yoroka tjinene, notja toora oviṋa ovizere mbi na kahita motjimbumba tjovarwe.
21 Nowo va yaruka nondjira, ndji va eta, nave twa ovakazendu novanatje, novinamuinyo, noviṋa ovinanḓengu komurungu. 22 Nowo tji va za nokuhumburuka nondjuwo ya Mika, ovarumendu, mba turire meṋe yonganda ya Mika, otji va wongara nave tezere Ovadan. 23 Nowo va ravaera Ovadan. Ovadan arire tji va tanauka nave pura Mika ave tja: “Otjikeṋa? Nu mwa woronganene tjike?”
24 Nu Mika we ve zira a tja: “Oviserekarera vyovisenginina vyandje mbi mba ungura mwa twaerere, nomupristeri wandje wina, namu yaruka! Nao tjandje mba sewa na tjike? Mamu ndji purire tjike kutja me paha ye?”
25 NOvadan ve mu zira nai: “Mwina, atu ku zuu rukwao tjaa ovarumendu vetu ovanamazenge ngaave ku rwisa, nove nomuhoko voye amu ṱu.” 26 Ovadan opu va twarera ondjira yawo. Nungwari Mika tja muna kutja owo ve nomasa pu ye otja yaruka konganda.
27 Ovadan va twaerera otjiserekarera tjotjisenginina Mika tja ungurire, nomupristeri we wina. Okuzambo va karwisa Laish, otjihuro tji tja ri novandu ovanahange novapore. Nowo va zepa ovature avehe nave nyosa otjihuro. 28 Nu kapa ri umwe ngwe ve yama, otjihuro hi tjinga atja ri kokure na kOsidon, nu kaave wana noviwaṋa vyarwe. Otjo tja ri motjana tjingetjo hi, mu mwa ri Bet-Rehob. Imba Ovadan va tungurura otjihuro hi nave tura mu tjo. 29 Notjihuro hi ve tji rukire Dan otja kena ra ihe mukururume yawo Dan, omuzandu wa Jakob. Nungwari rukuru otjihuro ho tja rukirwe Laish. 30 Nu imbwi omuhoko wa Dan we rizikira otjiserakarera hi tjotjisenginina; nu Jonatan, omuzandu wa Gersom, omuzandu wa Moses, eye novazandu vevari ovapristeri vomuhoko wa Dan nga moruveze ndwi otjiwaṋa ndu tja twarewa mouhuura. 31 Nu ihi otjiserekarera tja Mika tja kara mo omayuva aehe, Ondanda ya Ndjambi ngunda aya ri mOsilo.
