ABahluleli
18 Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi ko-Israyeli+ njalo isizwana sakoDani+ sasidinga indawo yokuhlala ngoba sasilokhu singakatholi ilifa laso phakathi kwezizwana zako-Israyeli.+
2 AbakoDani bathuma amadoda akibo amahlanu angamaqhawe ayesuka eZora le-Eshithawoli+ ukuthi ayehlola ilizwe. Bathi kuwo: “Hambani liyehlola ilizwe.” Amadoda la afika elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, lapho okwakulomuzi kaMikha,+ alala khona. 3 Athi eseduze lendlu kaMikha ezwa ilizwi alaziyo elejaha elingumLevi, asesiya kulo afika athi: “Ngubani owakuletha lapha? Wenzani futhi ufunani endaweni le?” 4 Ijaha lelo lawatshela lokho uMikha ayelenzele khona laselisithi: “Ungiqhatshile ukuthi ngibe ngumphristi wakhe.”+ 5 Asesithi kulo: “Sicela usibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuthi uhambo lwethu luzaphumelela yini.” 6 Ngakho ijaha leli elalingumphristi kaMikha lathi: “Hambani ngokuthula. UJehova ulani phakathi kohambo lwenu.”
7 Amadoda amahlanu akoDani aqhubeka ngohambo lwawo aze ayafika eLayishi.+ Abona ukuthi abantu bakuleyondawo babehlezi kuhle njengabaseSidoni, bengathembelanga kwezinye izizwe. Babelokuthula bengesabi lutho+ njalo kwakungelamuntu obahlaselayo elizweni labo. Babekhatshana lamaSidoni futhi bengadlelani labanye abantu.
8 Amadoda amahlanu athi esebuyele eZora le-Eshithawoli+ abafowabo bababuza bathi: “Lihambe njani?” 9 Aphendula athi: “Silibonile ilizwe labo, lihle. Yikho asihambeni siyebahlasela. Lingathikazi, kasilithatheni ilizwe. 10 Lingafika lapho lizathola abantu abaziphilela bechelesile.+ Ilizwe labo libanzi futhi lilayo yonke into elingayicabanga.+ UNkulunkulu uselinikele ezandleni zenu.”
11 Amadoda angu-600 esizwana sakoDani asuka eZora lase-Eshithawoli+ ehlomile. 12 Ahamba ayamisa inkamba yawo eduze kweKhiriyathi-jeyarimi+ koJuda. Yikho indawo leyo esentshonalanga kweKhiriyathi-jeyarimi ilokhu ibizwa ngokuthi yiMahane-dani*+ kuze kube lamuhla. 13 Asuka lapho aya elizweni lezintaba lako-Efrayimi, afika emzini kaMikha.+
14 Amadoda amahlanu ayehambe ukuyahlola ilizwe laseLayishi+ athi kubafowabo: “Belikwazi yini ukuthi ezindlini lezi kule-efodi, lezithombe zetherafimu,* lesithombe esibaziweyo kanye lesithombe sensimbi?+ Bonani elingakwenza.” 15 Ngakho bama lapho basebesiya endlini yejaha elingumLevi,+ emzini kaMikha bafika balibingelela. 16 Batshiya amadoda akoDani+ angu-600 ayehlomile elinde egedini. 17 Amadoda amahlanu ayehambe ukuyahlola ilizwe+ wona angena esiyathatha isithombe esibaziweyo, le-efodi,+ lezithombe zetherafimu*+ kanye lesithombe sensimbi.+ (Umphristi+ lamadoda angu-600 ayehlomile babemi egedini.) 18 Amadoda amahlanu athi esengenile endlini kaMikha athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, le-efodi, lezithombe zetherafimu* kanye lesithombe sensimbi. Umphristi wasesithi kuwo: “Kanti lenzani?” 19 Bona bathi kuye: “Vala umlomo wakho uthule zwi usilandele uyekuba ngumeluleki* lomphristi wethu. Yikuphi okungcono phakathi kokuba ngumphristi womuntu oyedwa+ lokuba ngumphristi wesizwana sako-Israyeli esilemuli ezinengi?”+ 20 Lokhu kwamthokozisa umphristi wasethatha i-efodi, lezithombe zetherafimu* kanye lesithombe esibaziweyo+ wahamba labo.
21 Bafaka abantwana lezifuyo kanye lempahla eqakathekileyo phambi kwabo, basebeqhubeka ngohambo. 22 AbakoDani bathi sebehambe umangwana besuka emzini kaMikha, abantu ababehlala eduze komuzi wakhe baqoqana basebebalandela baze babafica. 23 Babamemeza, abakoDani basebetshibilika bathi kuMikha: “Kanti kutheni? Kungani liqoqene lasilandela?” 24 UMikha waphendula wathi: “Lithethe onkulunkulu bami laphinda lathatha lomphristi wami. Angisalanga lalutho ngitsho. Pho lingibuzelani ukuthi kutheni?” 25 AbakoDani basebesithi kuye: “Ungasitshingeli ngoba kulamadoda alolaka* angakuhlasela akubulale wena lemuli yakho.” 26 UMikha wathi enanzelela ukuthi babelamandla kulaye watshibilika wabuyela emzini wakhe, abakoDani baqhubeka ngohambo lwabo.
27 Bathe sebethethe umphristi lezinto ezazenziwe nguMikha basuka baya eLayishi+ lapho okwakulabantu ababezihlalele ngokuthula futhi bengesabi lutho.+ Bafika bababulala ngenkemba basebetshisa idolobho labo ngomlilo. 28 Kakho owayengabanceda ngoba idolobho labo lalikhatshana leSidoni futhi babengelabudlelwano lezinye izizwe, behlala khonale emagcekeni aseBhethi-rehobhi.+ AbakoDani balakha kutsha idolobho lelo basebehlala kulo, 29 balinika ibizo likaDani+ ukhokho wabo owayezalwa ngu-Israyeli,+ kodwa kuqala lalibizwa ngokuthi yiLayishi.+ 30 Ngemva kwalokho abakoDani babeka isithombe esibaziweyo+ edolobheni labo. UJonathani+ indodana kaGeshomu+ indodana kaMosi kanye lamadodana akhe baba ngabaphristi bakoDani kwaze kwafika isikhathi lapho izakhamizi zakuleyo ndawo ezathunjwa ngaso. 31 Isithombe esibaziweyo esasenziwe nguMikha saqhubeka silapho okwesikhathi sonke indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.+