Judges

18 That time, no king dey Israel. And that time, the tribe of Dan de look for property wey them go live inside, because till that time, them never get property among the tribes of Israel.

2 The tribe of Dan send five men from among their family, men wey qualify, from Zorʹah and Eshʹta·ol, to go hide check the land and see wetin de happen for there. Them tell them say: “Go, make una go see wetin de happen for the land.” When them reach the area wey mountains dey for Eʹphra·im, for the house of Miʹcah, na there them sleep for night. 3 When them don near the house of Miʹcah, them know the voice of the young Levite man.* So them go meet-am and ask say: “Who bring you come here? Wetin you de do for this place? Why you dey here?” 4 E answer them say: “Na this one and this one Miʹcah do for me. And e hire me make I serve as priest for-am.” 5 Then them tell-am say: “Abeg, ask God whether we go succeed for our journey.” 6 The priest tell them say: “Make una go well. Jehovah dey with una for una journey.”

7 So the five men comot and reach Laʹish. Them see how the people for there dey safe and them no de need anything from anybody, just like Siʹdon people. Them be quiet people and them no de suspect anybody, and nobody de attack the land to disturb them. Them dey far from Siʹdon people and them no de do anything with anybody.

8 When them come back to their brothers for Zorʹah and Eshʹta·ol, their brothers ask them say: “How everything go?” 9 Them answer say: “Make we go up go attack them, because we don see say the land really good. Why una de draw body go back? Make una no waste time to go take the land as una own. 10 When una reach there, una go see people wey no de suspect anybody, and the land dey big. God don put the land for una hand, na place wey no lack anything wey dey this earth.”

11 Then 600 men wey carry weapons to fight from the family of Dan comot from Zorʹah and Eshʹta·ol. 12 Them go up and put their camp for Kirʹi·ath-jeʹa·rim wey dey Judah. Because of that one, them call that place wey dey west side of Kirʹi·ath-jeʹa·rim, Maʹha·neh-dan* till today. 13 Them comot from there go the area wey mountains dey for Eʹphra·im and reach the house of Miʹcah.

14 Then the five men wey be hide go check* the land of Laʹish tell their brothers say: “Una know say ephʹod, teraphim images,* image wey them carve, and image wey them make with metal* dey for inside this houses? Make una think about wetin una go do.” 15 So them stop for there and reach the house of the young Levite man for Miʹcah house and ask how e dey. 16 All this time, the 600 men from the tribe of Dan wey carry weapons to fight stand for front of the gate. 17 The five men wey be hide go check the land, go inside to take the image wey them carve, the ephʹod, the teraphim images,* and the image wey them make with metal.* (The priest stand for front of the gate with the 600 men wey carry weapons to fight.) 18 Them go inside Miʹcah house and take the image wey them carve, the ephʹod, the teraphim images,* and the image wey them make with metal.* The priest ask them say: “Wetin una de do so?” 19 But them tell-am say: “No talk. Use your hand cover your mouth, follow us go, and work as papa* and priest for us. Which one better pass—say make you be priest for the house of one man or make you be priest for one tribe and family for Israel?” 20 So the priest happy, and e take the ephʹod, the teraphim images,* and the image wey them carve, and e go with the people.

21 Then, them turn comot de go where them de go, and them put the children, the animals, and the better-better things make them de go for their front. 22 Them don go far small from Miʹcah house when the men wey de live for the houses wey near Miʹcah house gather together and reach where the people from the tribe of Dan dey. 23 When them call the people from the tribe of Dan, the people from the tribe of Dan turn face them and ask Miʹcah say: “Wetin be the problem? Why you and the people gather?” 24 So e talk say: “Una don carry my gods wey I make and una don go with the priest too. Wetin remain for me? So how come una de ask me say, ‘Wetin be the problem with you?’” 25 The people from the tribe of Dan answer say: “No de shout for us; because if you shout, men wey de vex* fit attack you and that one fit end your life* and the life* of people for your family.” 26 So the people from the tribe of Dan go where them de go; and as Miʹcah see say them strong pass-am, e turn comot and go back to im house.

27 After them take wetin Miʹcah don make and im priest, them go Laʹish go meet the people wey quiet and wey no de suspect other people. Them use sword kill them and burn the city with fire. 28 Nobody dey to save the city, because e dey far from Siʹdon, and them no de do anything with anybody and e dey the level land* wey dey Beth-reʹhob. Then them build the city again and start to live for inside. 29 Another thing be say, the name wey them give the city na Dan wey be the name of their papa, Dan, wey be Israel pikin. But Laʹish na the name of the city before. 30 After that one, the people from the tribe of Dan set for theirself, the image wey them carve, and Jonʹa·than the son of Gerʹshom, the son of Moses, and im sons come be priests for the tribe of the people wey come from Dan until the day wey them carry the people wey de live for the land go as slaves. 31 And them set the image wey them carve, wey Miʹcah don make, and the image continue to dey there for all the time wey the house of the true God dey for Shiʹloh.