AmaDan Afuna Indawo Yokuhlala
Iintlola zakwaDan esingenalifa zibuza umbingeleli oqeshwe nguMika ilizwi likaBawo wethu, zifumane elilungileyo. Amadoda angamakhulu amathandathu axhobileyo abuya, aphange indlu kathixo, anike umbingeleli ibandla elikhulu ngakumbi, aze ahambe evuya. Abulala umzi ozolileyo ngekrele, amise umfanekiso.
18 1Ngaloo mihla amaSirayeli ayengenakumkani. Isizwe sakwaDan sasifuna ummandla wokuhlala kuwo, kuba kude kube ngelo xesha asazange abe nelifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwaSirayeli. 2AmaDan athuma amadoda amahlanu anobukroti omlibo wawo, evela eTsora nase-Eshtawoli, ukuba alihlole acande ilizwe. Athi kuwo: “Hambani niye kucanda ilizwe.” Afika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, aya endlwini kaMika, achitha khona ubusuku.
3Besemdeni wendlu kaMika, balazi ilizwi lomfana ongumLevi, baphambukela khona bathi kuye: “Ngubani okuzise apha? Wenza ntoni na kule ndawo? Unantoni na apha?”
4Wathi kubo: “UMika undenzele okuthile; undiqeshile, ndaza ndaba ngumbingeleli wakhe.”
5Bathi kuye: “Khawubuze kuBawo wethu, ukuze sazi ukuba uhambo esiluthabathayo luya kuphumelela na.”
6Wathi kubo umbingeleli: “Hambani ngoxolo. Uhambo lwenu lukhangelwe nguBawo wethu.”
7Aza loo madoda mahlanu aya eLayishe, abona abemi bayo behleli bekhuselekile, njengamaTsidon—bezolile bekhuselekile—bengaswele nto ezweni, benobutyebi. Babekude kumaTsidon, bengenazintlondi nabani na. 8Akubuyela kwabakowabo eTsora nase-Eshtawoli, bababuza: “Nifumene ntoni na?”
9Athi: “Vukani, masinyuke siye kubahlasela! Silibonile ilizwe—lihle kakhulu. Niya kuhlala ningenzi nto na? Musani ukuzila-zila ukuya kuthabatha ilizwe. 10Xa nithe nafika, nofika ebantwini abangakhumbulele nto ezweni elibanzi. UBawo wethu ulinikele esandleni senu—indawo engaswele nto emhlabeni.”
11Amadoda angamakhulu amathandathu omlibo wamaDan, exhobe izikhali zokulwa, anduluka eTsora nase-Eshtawoli. 12Enyuka amisa eKiriyati-yeharim kwelakwaYuda. Ngenxa yoko kuthiwa yiMahane-dan unanamhla; ingasentshonalanga kweKiriyati-yeharim. 13Esuka khona agqitha kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, afika endlwini kaMika.
14Aza loo madoda mahlanu abelihlolile ilizwe laseLayishe athi kwabakowabo: “Niyazi na ukuba ezi zindlu zineefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo, nomtyhido? Ngoko ke yazini enozakwenza.” 15Baphambukela ke, bafika endlwini yomfana ongumLevi, endlwini kaMika, bambulisa. 16Loo madoda angamakhulu amathandathu akwaDan, exhobe izikhali zakhe zokulwa, ema ekungeneni kwesango. 17Aza loo madoda mahlanu abelihlolile ilizwe angena athabatha umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, ne-efodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomtyhido, ngexa umbingeleli wayemi ekungeneni kwesango namadoda angamakhulu amathandathu exhobe.
18Akungena loo madoda endlwini kaMika athabatha umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, ne-efodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomtyhido, wathi umbingeleli kuwo: “Nenza ntoni na?”
19Athi: “Yithi cwaka! Beka isandla sakho emlonyeni, uhambe nathi. Yiba ngubawo nombingeleli wethu. Kulungile na kuwe ukuba ube ngumbingeleli wendlu yendoda enye, kunokuba ube ngumbingeleli wesizwe nomlibo kwaSirayeli?”
20Yavuya intliziyo yombingeleli. Wathabatha iefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo, waya phakathi kwabantu. 21Baza bajika banduluka, bebeke phambi kwabo abantwana, nemfuyo, neempahla zabo. 22Bakuba bemke endlwini kaMika, amadoda abesemdeni wayo abizelwa, awafikela amaDan. 23Awamemeza amaDan, aza ajika athi kuMika: “Unandawoni na, le nto umemeze amadoda akho?”
24Wathi: “Nithabathe oothixo endibenzileyo nombingeleli, nemka. Ndisele ntoni na? Nithini na ke ukuthi kum, ‘Unandawoni na?’”
25Athi kuye amaDan: “Ize lingaviwa ilizwi lakho phakathi kwethu, hleze amadoda anoburhalarhume akuhlasele, ulahlekelwe ngumphefumlo wakho nemiphefumlo yabendlu yakho.”
26Ahamba amaDan indlela yawo; waza uMika akubona ukuba anamandla kunaye, wajika wabuyela ekhaya. 27Athabatha oko wayekwenzile uMika, nombingeleli wakhe, afika eLayishe—ebantwini abazolileyo abangakhumbulele nto—abaxabela ngohlangothi lwekrele, awutshisa umzi ngomlilo. 28Akubangakho bani wokubahlangula, kuba umzi wawukude kwiTsidon, ungenazintlondi nabani na. Wawusentilini eyeyaseBhete-rehobhi. Awakha kwakhona amaDan umzi, ema kuwo. 29Awuthiya igama loo mzi kwathiwa kukwaDan, ngegama likaDan uyise, unyana kaSirayeli; kodwa igama laloo mzi ngenxa engaphambili beliyiLayishe. 30Azimisela amaDan umfanekiso oqingqiweyo. UYonatan, ozalwa nguGershom, unyana kaMoses, ndawonye noonyana bakhe, babengababingeleli besizwe sakwaDan, kwada kwafika imini yokuthinjwa kwelizwe. 31Azimisela umfanekiso oqingqiweyo awayewenzile uMika, lonke ixesha indlu kaBawo wethu yayiseShilo.
