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 nOvadan
1 Momafiku enya muIsrael kamwa li ohamba. Ndele momafiku enya epata lOvadan tali likongele oshitukulwafyuululwa, va kale mo, ndele fiyo okefiku tuu linya, lo inali mona oshitukulwafyuululwa sha wana mokati komapata aIsrael. 2 Novana vaDan ova tuma ovalumenhu vatano ovaladi vomoludi keshe lepata lavo, va dja kuSorea naEstaol, va ka lave edu nokweendaenda nokutalatala ndele tava ti kuvo: Indeni mu ka talaatale edu. Ndele venya va ya keemhunda daEfraim fiyo okongulu yaMika, noko va kala oufiku. 3 Vo eshi va li pongulu yaMika ndele va uda ondaka yomulumenhu omunyasha, Omulevi, ve uya kuye ndele tava ti kuye: “Olyelye e ku eta apa? Ove oto ningi shike apa? Oto kongo shike apa?” 4 Opo nee ye ta ti kuvo: “Mika okwa yukifila nge shonhumba noshongadi, nokwa tambula nge moshilonga, naame nda ninga omupristeli waye.” 5 Opo nee ve mu lombwela: “Tu pulila kuKalunga opo tu shiive ondjila ei hatu ende nayo, ngeenge oi nelao.” 6 Nomupristeli okwe va lombwela: “Indeni nombili. Ondjila yeni tamu ende nayo, oi li koshipala shOmwene!” 7 Opo nee ovalumenhu ava vatano va dja po ndele ve uya kuLais. Ndele va mona nokutya, ovanhu ava va kala ko, ova li vehe noshisho panghedi yOvasidoni, ve nombili vehe noisho. Ndele inapa kala nande umwe a pongeka sha moshilongo osho mokunyeka emona. Ndele venya va li kokule nOvasidoni ndele inava endafana novanhu vamwe. 8 Ndele vo eshi ve uya kovakwao muSorea nomuEstaol, ovakwao ve va lombwela, tava ti: “Tamu ti shike?” 9 Ndele va nyamukula: “Lipyakudukeni, natu va homoneni! Osheshi twa mona oshilongo shavo, ndele taleni, sho oshiwa unene. Nye otamu mwena ashike! Inamu ongaonga okufikama, mu ye ko oku shi nangala. 10 Nye ngeenge tamu fiki ko, tamu ka fika kovanhu vehe noshisho. Noshilongo shi neenhele keembinga adishe, osheshi Kalunga ote shi yandje momake eni, onhele inya inai pumbwa nande sha shi li kombada yedu.”
11 Opo nee ovalumenhu omafele ahamano va dililwa oiti vomoludi lOvadan va fikama va dja muSorea nomuEstaol. 12 Ndele vo va ya ndele tava ongo onhanda pouninginino waKiriat-Jearim muJuda. Onghee hano hava ifana onhele inya fiyo onena Onhanda yOvadan. Yo i li kombada yaKiriat-Jearim. 13 Ndele va dja ko ndele tave uya keemhunda daEfraim ndele va fika fiyo okongulu yaMika. 14 Opo nee ovalumenhu venya vatano ava va ile okulava oshilongo shaLais, va hovela okulombwela vakwao: “Mu shii tuu kutya meumbo eli omu noshikutu shokomapepe noikalunga yomeumbo noshihongwafano noshitelekwafano? Shiiveni hano paife osho mu nokuninga!” 15 Vo ova tengunuka ndele ve uya keumbo lomulumenhu omunyasha, Omulevi, kongulu yaMika, ndele tave mu kundu. 16 Fimbo ovalumenhu omafele ahamano vomovana vaDan va dililwa oiti va kala ofika ponhu, 17 ovalumenhu venya vatano ava va ile okulava oshilongo, va ya mo, ndele tava kufa mo oshihongwafano noshikutu shokomapepe noikalunga yomeumbo noshitelekwafano, fimbo omupristeli a kala ofika ponhu pamwe novalumenhu omafele ahamano va dililwa oiti. 18 Vo eshi va ya mongulu yaMika ndele va kufa mo oshihongwafano, oshikutu shokomapepe noikalunga yomeumbo noshitelekwafano, omupristeli okwe va pula: “Otamu ningi shike?” 19 Ndele ve mu lombwela: “Mwena, likwata komilungu ndele ila, tu yeni pamwe, u ninge tate nomupristeli wetu. Oshe ku wapalela okuninga omupristeli womeumbo lomulumenhu umwe ile okuninga omupristeli wepata limwe noludi limwe lomuIsrael?” 20 Opo nee omutima womupristeli wa hafa, nokwa kufa oshikutu shokomapepe noikalunga yomeumbo noshihongwafano ndele ta i mokati kovalumenhu. 21 Ndele vo ova dja po nokweehena komesho, ounona noimuna noinima iwa ya li mongudu yokomesho. 22 Vo eshi va ehena komesho kanini kongulu yaMika, ovalumenhu vomomaumbo omoushiinda weumbo laMika va shivwa, ndele tava shikula ovana vaDan, 23 ndele tava ingida kovana vaDan. Opo nee va piluka ndele tava pula kuMika, tava ti: “Ou na shike, eshi wa ongela ovanhu voye?” 24 Ndele ye ta ti: “Nye mwa kufa po oikalunga yange nde i ninga nomupristeli, ndele tamu i: ‘Ondi na shike vali?’ Nye otamu dulu ngahelipi okulombwela nge: U na shike?” 25 Ndelenee ovana vaDan tava ti kuye: “Ino tu weelela vali, ovalumenhu vaha handuke noku mu totela, nye otamu kanifa eemwenyo deni vene nodovakweni.” 26 Opo nee ovana vaDan va enda nondjila yavo, fimbo Mika, eshi a mona vo ve mu dule, okwa piluka nokwa shuna keumbo laye.
27 Ndelenee vo ova ya noinima ei Mika e i ninga nomupristeli waye. Ndele va totela Lais, ovanhu venya va kala va tulumukwa ndele vehe noshisho, ndele ve va dipaa neongamukonda ndele tava xwike po oshilando. 28 Ndele kapa li nande omuxupifi, osheshi sho sha li kokule naSidon ndele vo inava endafana novanhu vamwe. Sho sha li mefilu laBet-Rehob. Ovadan va tungulula vali oshilando, ndele ve shi nangala, 29 ndele ve shi luka Dan padina laxe Dan, ou a dalelwa kuIsrael. Ndelenee edina loshilando la li shito Lais. 30 Novana vaDan ve lidikila oshihongwafano. Ndele Jonatan yaGersom yaMoses novana vaye ovalumenhu va li ovapristeli vomepata laDan fiyo okefiku linya ovanhu voshilongo va kufwa mo. 31 Ndele vo ve lidikila oshihongwafano shaMika, osho sha ningwa kuye, momafiku aeshe etwali laKalunga la li muSilo.
