AbaHlulelii
18 Emihleni leyo bekunganakosi kwa-Israyeli.+ Ikoro yakwaDani+ beyifuna ilifa ezokuhlala kilo ngombana bekube sikhatheso beyingakafumani ilifa hlangana neenkoro zakwa-Israyeli.+
2 BakwaDani bathumela amadoda amahlanu avela emndeninabo, amadoda afanelekako weTsora ne-Etjhitawuli+ bona ayokuhlola inarha begodu ayiqalisise. Bathi kiwo: “Khambani niyokuhlola inarha.” Kwathi nawafika esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu, endlini kaMikha+ alala khona. 3 Nawatjhidela endlini kaMikha, afanisa iphimbo lesokana elimLevi, yeke atjhinga kilo alibuza athi: “Ulethwe ngubani la? Wenzani endaweni le? Khuyini ekuhlalise la?” 4 Lawaphendula lathi: “UMikha ungenzele ukuthi nokuthi bewangiqatjha bona ngibe mphristakhe.”+ 5 Athi kilo: “Sibawa ubuze uZimu ukuthi ikhambo lethu lizokuphumelela na.” 6 Umphristi wathi kiwo: “Khambani ngokuthula. UJehova unani ekhambweni lenu.”
7 Yeke amadoda amahlanu akhamba bewafika eLayitjhi.+ Abona indlela abantu bakhona ebebahlala ngokuphepha ngayo, bangakathembeli kwabanye abantu ngokufana nabantu beTsidoni. Bebavikelekile, bangakalindeli ukusahlelwa+ begodu bekunganamuntu obagandelelako ongabathikameza enarheni. Bebakude nabantu beTsidoni begodu bebanganatjhebiswano nabanye abantu.
8 Nawabuyela kubafowabo eTsora ne-Etjhitawuli,+ abafowabo bawabuza bathi: “Nikhambe njani?” 9 Aphendula athi: “Asikhuphukeni siyokulwa nabo ngombana sibonile ukuthi inarha yihle khulu. Kubayini nizaza? Ningariyadi ukuyokuthatha inarha bona ibe ngeyenu. 10 Nanifikako, nizokufumana abantu abangakalindeli ukusahlelwa+ begodu inarha yikulu. UZimu uyinikele esandleni senu, inarha engatlhogi litho ephasini.”+
11 Yeke amadoda ama-600 ahlomele ipi avela emndenini wakwaDani asuka eTsora ne-Etjhitawuli.+ 12 Akhuphuka ahloma ikampa eKhiriyathi-Jeyarimu+ kwaJuda. Kungebangelo indawo leyo esetjingalanga yeKhiriyathi-Jeyarimu ibizwa ngokuthi yiMarhane-Dani*+ bekube kunamhlanjesi. 13 Asuka lapho atjhinga esifundeni seentaba sakwa-Efrayimu, afika endlini kaMikha.+
14 Yeke amadoda amahlanu ebewayokuhlola inarha yeLayitjhi+ athi kubafowabo: “Benazi na bona ngaphakathi kwezindlwezi kune-efodi, iinthombe zamatherafimi,* isithombe esibaziweko nesithombe sesimbi?+ Cabangani ngokuthi kufuze nenzeni.” 15 Bajama lapho begodu amadoda amahlanu aya emzini kaMikha lapho bekuhlala khona isokana elimLevi,+ alibuza amavuko. 16 Soke isikhathesi amadoda ama-600 wakwaDani+ ahlomele ipi bewajame ebungenweni besango. 17 Amadoda amahlanu ebewayokuhlola inarha+ angena ngaphakathi bona ayokuthatha isithombe esibaziweko, i-efodi,+ iinthombe zamatherafimi*+ nesithombe sesimbi.+ (Umphristi+ bekajame ebungenweni besango namadoda ama-600 ahlomele ipi.) 18 Angena ngendlini kaMikha athatha isithombe esibaziweko, i-efodi, iinthombe zamatherafimi* nesithombe sesimbi. Umphristi wathi kiwo: “Nenzani?” 19 Kodwana athi kuye: “Thula. Vala lapho udla khona ukhambe nathi uyokuba ngubaba nomphristethu. Ngikuphi okungcono, ukuba mphristi wendlu yendoda yinye+ namkha ukuba mphristi wekoro nomndeni wakwa-Israyeli?”+ 20 Yeke umphristi waneliseka, wathatha i-efodi, iinthombe zamatherafimi* nesithombe esibaziweko+ wakhamba nabantu.
21 Baphenduka bona bakhambe, bakhambisa abantwana, ifuyo nezinto ezibizako ngaphambi kwabo. 22 BakwaDani besele bakhambe ibanga ukusuka endlini kaMikha lokha abomakhelwana bakaMikha nabahlanganako babagijimisa bebabafumana. 23 Kwathi nababiza bakwaDani, bakwaDani baphenduka babaqala bathi kuMikha: “Umrarwakho yini? Kubayini uze nesiqubuthu esingaka?” 24 Yeke wathi: “Nithethe abozimu bami engibenzileko benathatha nomphristami. Khuyini engisele nayo? Nitjho ukuthini nanithi, ‘Umrarwakho yini?’” 25 BakwaDani baphendula bathi: “Ungasiphakamiseli iphimbo; nakungasinjalo, amadoda la asilingeka msinya anganilimaza kabuhlungu, ulahlekelwe kuphila kwakho nokuphila komndenakho ngebanga lalokho.” 26 BakwaDani bakhamba; uMikha wabona ukuthi le ayisingangaye, yeke wajika wabuyela emzinakhe.
27 Ngemva kwalokho, bathatha izinto ezenziwe nguMikha kuhlanganise nomphristakhe, batjhinga eLayitjhi,+ ebantwini abavikelekileko nabangasabi ukusahlelwa.+ Babarhayila ngesabula bebatjhisa idorobho ngomlilo. 28 Bekunganamuntu ongayisindisa ngombana beyikude neTsidoni, abantu bakhona bebanganatjhebiswano nabanye abantu begodu beyisemrhobeni othabaleleko weBhethe-Rerhobu.+ Bavuselela idorobho bahlala kilo. 29 Ngaphezu kwalokho, babiza idorobhelo ngokuthi yiDani,+ balithiyelela ngoyise uDani obekayindodana ka-Israyeli.+ Kodwana idorobheli belibizwa ngokuthi yiLayitjhi ngaphambilini.+ 30 Ngemva kwalokho, bakwaDani bazijamisela isithombe esibaziweko,+ uJonathani+ indodana kaGeritjhomu,+ indodana kaMosi namadodanakhe baba baphristi bekoro yakwaDani bekwaba lilanga izakhamuzi zenarha ezatjhinga ngalo ekudingisweni. 31 Bajamisa isithombe esibaziweko esenziwa nguMikha begodu sahlala lapho woke amalanga indlu kaZimu weqiniso iseTjhilo.+