AbaHluleli
18 Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli.+ Futhi ngalezo zinsuku isizwe sabakwaDani+ sasizifunela ifa ukuze sihlale kulo; ngoba kuze kube yilolo suku sasingakabi nalo ifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwa-Israyeli.+
2 Ekugcineni abantwana bakwaDani bathumela amadoda amahlanu omndeni wakubo, amadoda avela phakathi kwawo, amadoda ayengabafo abangamaqhawe, esuka eZora+ nase-Eshitawoli,+ ukuba ayohlola+ izwe alisinge. Ngakho bathi kuwo: “Hambani niyohlola izwe.” Ngemva kwesikhathi angena esifundeni sezintaba sakwa-Efrayimi+ aze afika endlini kaMika+ ahlala ubusuku khona. 3 Lapho eseseduze kwendlu kaMika, alazi izwi lale nsizwa, umLevi, aphambukela khona. Athi kuyo: “Ulethwé ngubani lapha, wenzani kule ndawo, futhi ufunani lapha?” 4 Yona yathi kuwo: “UMika wangenzela kanje nakanje ukuze angiqashe,+ futhi ngikhonze njengompristi+ wakhe.” 5 Khona-ke athi kuye: “Sicela ubuze+ kuNkulunkulu+ ukuze sazi ukuthi indlela yethu esiyihambayo izophumelela yini.” 6 Ngakho lo mpristi wathi kuwo: “Hambani ngokuthula. Indlela yenu eniyihambayo iphambi kukaJehova.”
7 Ngakho la madoda amahlanu aqhubeka, ayesefika eLayishi+ futhi abona indlela abantu ababengaphakathi kwalo ababehleli ngayo ngokuzethemba ngokwenkambiso yabaseSidoni, bethule futhi bengasoli lutho,+ futhi kwakungekho mnqobi ocindezelayo owayehlukumeza noma yini ezweni, ngoba babekude kakhulu nabantu baseSidoni+ futhi bengahlangene ngalutho nabantu.
8 Ekugcineni afika kubafowabo eZora+ nase-Eshitawoli,+ abafowabo bathi kuwo: “Kunihambele kanjani?” 9 Khona-ke athi: “Sukumani, masikhuphuke silwe nabo; ngoba silibonile izwe, bheka! lihle kakhulu.+ Kodwa nina niyanqikaza. Ningakuvilapheli ukuhamba ningene nilidle leli zwe.+ 10 Lapho ningena, niyofikela kubantu abangasoli lutho,+ futhi izwe libanzi impela; ngoba uNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni+ senu, indawo lapho kungantuleki khona noma yiluphi uhlobo lwento esemhlabeni.”+
11 Khona-ke amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha abhincé izikhali zempi, omndeni wabakwaDani,+ asuka lapho, okungukuthi, eZora nase-Eshitawoli.+ 12 Enyuka akanisa eKiriyati-jeyarimi+ kwaJuda. Yingakho leyo ndawo ibizwa ngokuthi iMahane-dani+ kuze kube yilolu suku. Bheka! Isentshonalanga yeKiriyati-jeyarimi. 13 Ngemva kwalokho adlula esuka lapho aya esifundeni sezintaba sakwa-Efrayimi aze afika endlini kaMika.+
14 Khona-ke la madoda amahlanu ayehambile eyohlola+ izwe laseLayishi+ akhuluma athi kubafowabo: “Benazi yini ukuthi kulezi zindlu kukhona i-efodi namatherafi+ nomfanekiso oqoshiwe+ nesithombe esincibilikisiwe?+ Manje cabangani okufanele nikwenze.”+ 15 Ngakho aphambukela khona afika endlini yale nsizwa, umLevi,+ endlini kaMika, ayibuza ukuthi iqhuba kanjani.+ 16 Sonke leso sikhathi amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha abhincé izikhali zempi,+ ayengawabantwana bakwaDani,+ ayemi ngasesangweni. 17 La madoda amahlanu ayeyohlola izwe+ manje akhuphuka, ukuze angene lapho athathe umfanekiso oqoshiwe+ ne-efodi+ namatherafi+ nomfanekiso oncibilikisiwe.+ (Umpristi+ wayemi emnyango wesango namadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha abhincé izikhali zempi.) 18 Lawa angena endlini kaMika athatha umfanekiso oqoshiwe, i-efodi namatherafi nomfanekiso oncibilikisiwe.+ Khona-ke umpristi+ wathi kuwo: “Nenzani?” 19 Kodwa athi kuye: “Thula. Beka isandla sakho emlonyeni wakho, uhambe nathi ube ubaba+ nompristi+ wethu. Yikuphi okungcono, ukuba uqhubeke ungumpristi endlini yomuntu oyedwa+ noma ukuba ube ngumpristi esizweni nasemndenini kwa-Israyeli?”+ 20 Khona-ke inhliziyo yompristi yajabula,+ manje wathatha i-efodi namatherafi nomfanekiso oqoshiwe+ wangena phakathi kwalaba bantu.
21 Khona-ke aphenduka ahamba abeka abancane nemfuyo nezinto zenani elikhulu phambi kwawo.+ 22 Ayeseqhelé ibangana endlini kaMika lapho amadoda ayesezindlini eziseduze kwendlu kaMika+ ebizana futhi ezama ukufica abantwana bakwaDani. 23 Lapho ebamemeza abantwana bakwaDani, baphendula ubuso babo bathi kuMika: “Kwenzenjani kuwe+ njengoba nibizene na?” 24 Ngakho wathi: “Nithathé onkulunkulu bami+ engibenzile,+ nompristi,+ futhi niyahamba, manje yini engisenayo?+ Khona-ke ningasho kanjani kimi ukuthi, ‘Kwenzenjani kuwe na?’” 25 Khona-ke abantwana bakwaDani bathi kuye: “Malingezwakali izwi lakho eduze kwethu, funa abantu abanemiphefumulo emunyu+ banihlasele, bese ulahlekelwa umphefumulo wakho nomphefumulo wendlu yakho.” 26 Abantwana bakwaDani baqhubeka nendlela yabo; uMika wabona ukuthi banamandla kunaye,+ ngakho waphenduka wabuyela endlini yakhe.
27 Kepha bona, bathatha lokho uMika ayekwenzile nompristi+ wakhe, baqhubeka beya ngaseLayishi,+ beyokulwa nabantu abathule nabangasoli lutho.+ Bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba,+ umuzi bawushisa ngomlilo.+ 28 Kwakungenamkhululi, ngoba kwakukude kakhulu naseSidoni,+ futhi babengahlanganise lutho nabantu; futhi kwakusethafeni eliphansi laseBheti-rehobe.+ Khona-ke bakha umuzi bahlala kuwo.+ 29 Ngaphezu kwalokho, babiza lo muzi ngokuthi kukwaDani ngegama likayise, uDani,+ owayezalwa ngu-Israyeli.+ Nokho, ekuqaleni+ igama lalo muzi kwakuyiLayishi. 30 Ngemva kwalokho abantwana bakwaDani bazimisela umfanekiso oqoshiwe;+ futhi uJonathani+ indodana kaGereshomu,+ indodana kaMose, yena namadodana akhe baba ngabapristi besizwe sakwaDani kwaze kwaba usuku lokuyiswa kwezwe ekudingisweni.+ 31 Umfanekiso kaMika oqoshiwe, ayewenzile, bazigcinela wona bewumisile zonke izinsuku indlu+ kaNkulunkulu weqiniso eyaqhubeka ngazo iseShilo.+