UDani Ufuna Indawo Yokuhlala
Izinhloli zakwaDani ezingenazwe zicela kumpristi oqashiweyo kaMika izwi elivela kuBaba wethu futhi zithola elihle. Amadoda ahlomile angamakhulu ayisithupha ayabuya, ahluthule indawo yokukhonza, anike umpristi ibandla elikhulu, futhi uhamba ngokujabula. Bashaya umuzi onokuthula ngenkemba bese bemisa isithombe.
18 1Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli. Isizwe sakwaDani sasifuna indawo sokuhlala kuyo, ngokuba kwaze kwaba yileso sikhathi sasingakatholi ifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwa-Israyeli. 2AbakwaDani bathuma amadoda amahlanu anesibindi avela emndenini wabo, eZora nase-Eshitawoli, ukuba ahlole izwe alihlaziye. Bathi kuwo: “Hambani niyohlola izwe.” Afika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, endlini kaMika, alala khona ubusuku.
3Eduze nendlu kaMika alizwa izwi lensizwa engumLevi, aphambukela khona athi kuyo: “Ngubani okulethe lapha? Wenzani kule ndawo? Unani lapha?”
4Yathi kuwo: “UMika wenze kanje nakanje kimi; ungiqashile, ngaba ngumpristi wakhe.”
5Athi kuyo: “Ake ubuze kuBaba wethu, ukuze sazi ukuthi uhambo esiluhambayo luyophumelela yini.”
6Umpristi wathi kuwo: “Hambani ngokuthula. Uhambo lwenu luphansi kokubheka kukaBaba wethu.”
7Ngakho lawo madoda amahlanu aya eLayishi, abona abantu bayo behlezi bevikelekile, njengamaSidoni—bethule futhi belondekile—bengaswele lutho ezweni benomnotho. Babekude namaSidoni bengenabudlelwane namuntu. 8Lapho esebuyela ezihlotsheni zawo eZora nase-Eshitawoli, zawabuza: “Nitholeni?”
9Athi: “Sukumani, masibahlasele! Silibonile izwe—lihle kakhulu. Ningenzi lutho na? Ningalibali ukuhamba niyothatha izwe. 10Lapho nifika, niyofika kubantu abangasoli lutho ezweni elibanzi. UBaba wethu ulinikele ezandleni zenu—indawo engaswele lutho emhlabeni.”
11Amadoda angama-600 omndeni wakwaDani, ehlomile ngezikhali zempi, asuka eZora nase-Eshitawoli. 12Enyuka amisa eKiriyati-Jeyarimi kwaJuda. Yingakho ibizwa ngokuthi iMahane-Dani kuze kube namuhla; isentshonalanga yeKiriyati-Jeyarimi. 13Esuka lapho awela aya ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi afika endlini kaMika.
14Khona lawo madoda amahlanu ayehlole izwe laseLayishi athi ezihlotsheni zawo: “Niyazi yini ukuthi kulezi zindlu kukhona i-efodi, izithombe zekhaya, umfanekiso obaziweyo, nesithombe esibunjiweyo? Manje nqumani enizokwenza.” 15Ngakho aphambukela eza endlini yensizwa engumLevi, indlu kaMika, alibingelela. 16Amadoda akwaDani angama-600 ehlomile ema emnyango wesango. 17Amadoda amahlanu ayehlole izwe angena athatha umfanekiso obaziweyo, i-efodi, izithombe zekhaya, nesithombe esibunjiweyo, kuyilapho umpristi emi emnyango wesango namadoda angama-600 ehlomile.
18Lapho lawa madoda engena endlini kaMika ethatha umfanekiso obaziweyo, i-efodi, izithombe zekhaya, nesithombe esibunjiweyo, umpristi wawabuza: “Nenzani?”
19Athi: “Thula! Beka isandla sakho emlonyeni wakho, uhambe nathi. Yiba ngubaba wethu nompristi wethu. Kungcono yini ukuba ngumpristi wendlu yomuntu oyedwa, noma wesizwe nomndeni kwa-Israyeli?”
20Inhliziyo yompristi yajabula. Wathatha i-efodi, izithombe zekhaya, nomfanekiso obaziweyo, wangena phakathi kwabantu. 21Base bephenduka bahamba, bebeka abantwana, imfuyo, nempahla yabo phambi kwabo. 22Sebephumile endlini kaMika, amadoda ayeseduze nayo abizwa axhumana nabakwaDani. 23Amemeza abakwaDani, bona baphenduka bathi kuMika: “Unani, ubize amadoda akho kanjena?”
24Wathi: “Nithathe onkulunkulu engibenzile nompristi, nahamba. Kusasele ini kimi? Ningangibuza kanjani nithi: ‘Unani?’”
25AbakwaDani bathi kuye: “Ungalizwakalisi izwi lakho phakathi kwethu, funa amadoda athukutheleyo akuhlasele, ulahlekelwe ngukuphila kwakho nokuphila kwabendlu yakho.”
26AbakwaDani baqhubeka ngendlela yabo; kwathi uMika ebona ukuthi banamandla kunaye, waphenduka wabuyela ekhaya. 27Bathatha lokho uMika ayekwenzile, nompristi wakhe, bafika eLayishi—abantu abathule, abangasoli lutho—bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba, bawushisa umuzi ngomlilo. 28Kwakungekho owayengabasindisa, ngokuba umuzi wawukude neSidoni ungenabudlelwane namuntu. Wawusesigodini esingeseBeti-Rehobu. AbakwaDani bawakha kabusha umuzi bahlala khona. 29Bawuqamba umuzi ngokuthi iDani, ngegama likakhokho wabo uDani, indodana ka-Israyeli; kodwa umuzi wawubizwa ngokuthi iLayishi phambilini. 30AbakwaDani bazimisela umfanekiso obaziweyo. UJonathani, indodana kaGereshomi, indodana kaMose, namadodana akhe, babe ngabapristi besizwe sakwaDani kwaze kwaba yilanga lokuthunjwa kwezwe. 31Bazimisela umfanekiso obaziweyo uMika ayewenzile, isikhathi sonke indlu kaBaba wethu iseShilo.
