Micah and the Tribe of Dan
1 There was no king in Israel at that time. In those days the tribe of Dan was looking for territory to claim and settle in because they had not yet received any land of their own among the tribes of Israel. 2 So the people of Dan chose five qualified men out of all the families in the tribe and sent them from the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol with instructions to explore the land and spy on it. When they arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, they stayed at Micah's house. 3 While they were there, they recognized the accent of the young Levite, so they went up to him and asked, “What are you doing here? Who brought you here?”
4 He answered, “I have an arrangement with Micah, who pays me to serve as his priest.”
5 They said to him, “Please ask God if we are going to be successful on our trip.”
6 The priest answered, “You have nothing to worry about. The Lord is taking care of you on this trip.”
7 So the five men left and went to the town of Laish. They saw how the people there lived in security like the Sidonians. They were a peaceful, quiet people, with no argument with anyone; they had all they needed. They lived far away from the Sidonians and had no dealings with any other people. 8 When the five men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, the people asked them what they had found out. 9 “Come on,” they replied. “Let's attack Laish. We saw the land, and it's very good. Don't stay here doing nothing; hurry! Go on in and take it over! 10 When you get there, you will find that the people don't suspect a thing. It is a big country; it has everything a person could want, and God has given it to you.”
11 So six hundred men from the tribe of Dan left Zorah and Eshtaol, ready for battle. 12 They went up and camped west of Kiriath Jearim in Judah. That is why the place is still called Camp of Dan. 13 They went on from there and came to Micah's house in the hill country of Ephraim.
14 Then the five men who had gone to spy on the country around Laish said to their companions, “Did you know that here in one of these houses there is a wooden idol covered with silver? There are also other idols and an ephod. What do you think we should do?” 15 So they went into Micah's house, where the young Levite lived, and asked the Levite how he was getting along. 16 Meanwhile the six hundred Danite soldiers, ready for battle, were standing at the gate. 17 The five spies went straight on into the house and took the wooden idol covered with silver, the other idols, and the ephod, while the priest stayed at the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18 When the men went into Micah's house and took the sacred objects, the priest asked them, “What are you doing?”
19 They told him, “Keep quiet. Don't say a word. Come with us and be our priest and adviser. Wouldn't you rather be a priest for a whole Israelite tribe than for the family of one man?” 20 This made the priest very happy, so he took the sacred objects and went along with them.
21 They turned around and started off, with their children, their livestock, and their belongings going ahead. 22 They had traveled a good distance from the house when Micah called his neighbors out for battle. They caught up with the Danites 23 and shouted at them. The Danites turned around and asked Micah, “What's the matter? Why all this mob?”
24 Micah answered, “What do you mean, ‘What's the matter?’ You take my priest and the gods that I made, and walk off? What have I got left?”
25 The Danites told him, “You had better not say anything else unless you want these men to get angry and attack you. You and your whole family would die.” 26 Then the Danites went on. Micah saw that they were too strong for him, so he turned and went back home.
27-28 After the Danites had taken the priest and the things that Micah had made, they went and attacked Laish, that town of peaceful, quiet people which was in the same valley as Bethrehob. They killed the inhabitants and burned the town. There was no one to save them, because Laish was a long way from Sidon, and they had no dealings with any other people. The Danites rebuilt the town and settled down there. 29 They changed its name from Laish to Dan, after their ancestor Dan, the son of Jacob. 30 The Danites set up the idol to be worshiped, and Jonathan, the son of Gershom and grandson of Moses, served as a priest for the Danites, and his descendants served as their priests until the people were taken away into exile. 31 Micah's idol remained there as long as the Tent where God was worshiped remained at Shiloh.
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.
