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 nezimo lyaDan
1 Pethimbo ndiyaka muIsrael kamwa li nando omukwaniilwa. Uuna ndwiyaka ezimo lyaDan olya li tali kongo ehala lyokukala, oshoka natango olya li inaali pewa ehala lyalyo lyene mokati komazimo gaIsrael. 2 Onkee aantu yaDan oya hogolola momagumbo gawo agehe miilando Soar neEshtaol aalumentu ya pyokoka nawa noye ya lombwele, ya ka ndaadhe evi. Sho ya yi mevi lyokoondundu dhaEfraim, oya kankama paandjaMika. 3 Manga nee ya li mpoka, oya dhimbulula iipopya yomugundjuka Omulevi. Onkee ya yi kuye e taa pula: “Oho longo shike mpaka? Olye e ku eta huno?”
4 Ye okwa yamukula: “Otu uvathana naMika, a fute ndje, sho te longo puye iilonga yuuyambi.”
5 Oyo ya ti kuye: “Alikana, tu kwatha, u pule Kalunga, ondjila yetu ndjika tatu ende ngele oyelago.”
6 Omuyambi okwa yamukula: “Inamu ipyakidhila owala, Omuwa ote mu sile oshimpwiyu mondjila ndjika.”
7 Onkee aalumentu mbaka yatano ya yi e taa ya moshilando Lajish. Oya mono kutya aantu oye li nawa yaa na okapethili kasha, ngaashi naanaa Aasidoni. Oyo aantu aanambili naamweni, mboka ihaaya tamanana nando onalye; oye na ashihe ye shi pumbwa. Oya kala kokule nAasidoni noyaa na ekwatathano naantu yalwe. 8 Aalumentu yatano sho ya galukile kuSoar naEshtaol, aangandjawo oye ya pula shoka ya dhimbulula. 9 Oya yamukula: “Ileni! Tu matukileni Lajish. Otwa mono evi nuuwanawa walyo. Inamu kuutumba owala tamu ongaonga; endeleleni! Undukeni, mu shi hakane! 10 Shimpa mwa thiki ko, otamu ka dhimbulula kutya aantu itaa fekele nando osha. Oshilongo oshinene. Oshi na ayihe omuntu te yi pumbwa, naKalunga okwa gandja ayihe kune.”
11 Onkee etanga lyaalumentu omathele gahamano yomezimo lyaDan oya yi muSoar naEshtaol ya homata. 12 Oya yi e taa yungu ontanda kuuninginino waKiriat Jearim muJuda. Omolwashoka ehala ndyoka natango tuu olya lukwa “Ontanda yaDan”.
13 Oya tsikile ya yi, sigo okaandjaMika kevi lyokoondundu dhaEfraim.
14 Nena aalumentu yatano mboka ya li ya ndaadhele oshilongo sha kunduka Lajish, oya ti kuyakwawo: “Omu shi shi tuu kutya megumbo limwe lyomwaangaka omu na oshimenka shoshiti sha kolongwa noshisiliveli? Omu na ishewe iimenka iikwawo nomapepenguwo. Otamu dhiladhila, tu ningeni ngiini?” 15 Nena oya yi maandjaMika, moka mwa kala omugundjuka Omulevi noye mu kundu. 16 Aakwiita mboka omathele gahamano ya homata ya za kuDan, oya li ya thikama posheelo. 17 Oondaadhi ndhoka ntano odha yi dhu ukilila megumbo e tadhi kutha mo oshimenka shoshiti sha kolongwa noshisiliveli, iimenka iikwawo nomapepenguwo, manga omuyambi a li posheelo pamwe naakwiita omathele gahamano.
18 Aalumentu sho ya yi maandjaMika e taa kutha mo iinima iidhilikwa, omuyambi okwe ya pula: “Otamu ningi shike?”
19 Oyo ya ti: “Mwena! Ino tya sha. Tu landula, u ninge omuyambi nomugandjindunge gwetu. Inashi opala nani okukala omuyambi muIsrael ashihe shi vule okukalela egumbo limwe?”
20 Shika osha shambukitha omuyambi, onkee okwa kutha iinima iidhilikwa e te ya landula. 21 Oyo ya piluka, ya ka tsikile nondjila yawo, noya tetekelitha aanona yawo, iimuna yawo niiniwe yawo yilwe. 22 Oya adhika ya ende oshinano shontumba okuza kegumbo, Mika sho i ithana aashiinda ye, ya ye kolugodhi. Oya adha Aadan 23 noye ya igidha. Aalumentu Aadan oya punguluka e taa pula Mika taa ti: “Oshike ano? Ongundu ndjono oyashike ayihe?”
24 Mika okwa yamukula: “Otamu dhiladhila ngiini, sho tamu ti: ‘Oshike ano?’ One mwa kutha po omuyambi gwandje niikalunga mbyoka nda hongo nomwa yi nayo. Nena onda kala po ihe nashike?”
25 Aalumentu Aadan oya ti: “Ihwepo, waa ye moohapu, opo aalumentu mbaka yaa geye, e taa ku dhenge. Nena ongoye noyaandjeni otamu si.” 26 Opo ihe oya tsikile nondjila yawo. Mika okwa dhimbulula kutya oye mu vule oonkondo, onkee okwa piluka e ta shuna kegumbo.
27-28 Aalumentu Aadan sho ya adhika ya kutha po omuyambi niinima mbyoka Mika a longekidha, oya ka matukila Lajish, oshilando shoka shaantu aanambili naamweni, shoka sha li molusilu lumwe naBetrehob. Oya dhipaga aakalimo e taa fike po oshilando. Kakwa li nando ogumwe te ya popile, oshoka Lajish osha li kokule naSidon noya li yaa na ekwatathano naantu yalwe. Aalumentu Aadan oya tungulula oshilando noya tula mo. 29 Oya lundulula edhina lyasho Lajish lya ningi Dan ye shi lukile hekulu Dan yaJakob. 30 Aalumentu Aadan oya dhike po oshimenka shaMika, opo ye shi simaneke. Jonatan yaGersom, omutekulu gwaMoses, okwa li omuyambi gwezimo lyaDan. Osho wo oluvalo lwe, sigo aantu ya falwa muupika. 31 Oshimenka shaMika osha kala ko ethimbo alihe, otenda yokusimanekela mo Kalunga sho ya li muShilo.
