AbaHluleli
18 Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli. + Isizwe sakwaDani + sasifuna indawo* yokuhlala, ngoba kuze kube yileso sikhathi sasingakayitholi indawo eyanele eyifa laso phakathi kwezizwe zakwa-Israyeli. +
2 AbakwaDani bathumela amadoda amahlanu esizwe sakubo ukuba ayohlola izwe alibhekisise, amadoda angamaqhawe, esuka eZora nase-Eshitawoli. + Bathi kuwo: “Hambani niyohlola izwe.” Lapho efika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, endlini kaMika, + alala khona ngalobo busuku. 3 Ngesikhathi esondela endlini kaMika, ezwa izwi alaziyo lensizwa* engumLevi, abe eseya kuyo afike athi: “Ubani okulethe lapha? Wenzani kule ndawo? Ufunani lapha?” 4 Yabatshela lokho uMika ayeyenzele khona, yathi: “Ungiqashile ukuze ngibe umpristi wakhe.” + 5 Athi kuye: “Sicela usibuzele kuNkulunkulu ukuthi uhambo lwethu luzophumelela yini.” 6 Umpristi wathi kuwo: “Hambani ngokuthula. UJehova unani ohambweni lwenu.”
7 Ngakho la madoda amahlanu aqhubeka aze afika eLayishi. + Abona indlela abantu bakhona ababehleli ngayo ngokuzethemba ngendlela okwakwenza ngayo abaseSidoni. Babenokuthula, bengasoli lutho, + kungenamuntu ocindezelayo owayehlasela izwe ukuze abaphazamise. Babekude kakhulu nabantu baseSidoni, bengenabudlelwane namuntu.
8 Lapho la madoda ebuyela kubafowabo eZora nase-Eshitawoli, + abafowabo bathi kuwo: “Nihambe kanjani?” 9 Wona athi: “Masikhuphuke siyolwa nabo, ngoba sibonile ukuthi izwe lihle kakhulu. Kungani ninqikaza? Phuthumani ningene nithathe izwe. 10 Lapho nifika, niyothola abantu abazikhululekele nje + kanti nezwe libanzi impela. UNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni senu, liyizwe elingaswele lutho.” +
11 Ngemva kwalokho amadoda angu-600 ahlomele impi esizwe sakwaDani, asuka eZora nase-Eshitawoli. + 12 Enyuka amisa amatende eKiriyati-jeyarimi + kwaJuda. Yingakho leyo ndawo, esentshonalanga yeKiriyati-jeyarimi, ibizwa ngokuthi iMahane-dani *+ kuze kube namuhla. 13 Asuka lapho adlulela ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi aze afika endlini kaMika. +
14 Amadoda amahlanu ayekade ehambile eyohlola izwe laseLayishi + athi kubafowabo: “Benazi yini ukuthi kulezi zindlu kukhona i-efodi, izithombe zamatherafi,* umfanekiso oqoshiwe nesithombe sensimbi? *+ Manje nicabanga ukwenzenjani?” 15 Ngakho ama lapho angena endlini yale nsizwa engumLevi, + emzini kaMika, ayibuza impilo. 16 Sonke leso sikhathi, amadoda angu-600 akwaDani + ahlomele impi ayemi esangweni. 17 Amadoda amahlanu ayekade eyohlola izwe + angena endlini ayothatha umfanekiso oqoshiwe, i-efodi, + izithombe zamatherafi *+ nesithombe sensimbi. *+ (Umpristi + wayemi esangweni namadoda angu-600 ahlomele impi.) 18 Angena endlini kaMika athatha umfanekiso oqoshiwe, i-efodi, izithombe zamatherafi* nesithombe sensimbi.* Umpristi wathi kuwo: “Nenzani?” 19 Kodwa athi kuye: “Thula. Yeka ukulokhu ukhuluma, hamba nathi ukuze ube ubaba* nompristi wethu. Yikuphi okungcono kuwe phakathi kokuba umpristi endlini yomuntu oyedwa + nokuba umpristi esizweni nasemndenini wakwa-Israyeli?” + 20 Umpristi wagculiseka ngalokho, wayesethatha i-efodi, izithombe zamatherafi* nomfanekiso oqoshiwe + wahamba nalaba bantu.
21 Ngemva kwalokho aqhubeka nendlela yawo, ahambisa izingane, imfuyo nempahla yawo eyigugu phambi kwawo. 22 AbakwaDani base behambe ibangana ukusuka emzini kaMika lapho amadoda angomakhelwane bakaMika ebuthana futhi ebalandela. Ekugcineni abafica. 23 Lapho ebamemeza abakwaDani, baphenduka bathi kuMika: “Kwenzenjani? Kungani uze nabantu abaningi kangaka?” 24 Ngakho wathi: “Nithathe onkulunkulu bami engizenzele bona, nathatha nompristi nahamba naye. Yini engisasele nayo? Manje ningasho kanjani kimi ukuthi, ‘Kwenzenjani?’ ” 25 AbakwaDani bathi kuye: “Ungasithethisi; ngale kwalokho, amadoda athukuthele angase akulimaze, bese uyafa wena nomndeni wakho.” 26 Ngakho abakwaDani baqhubeka nendlela yabo; uMika ebona ukuthi banamandla kunaye, wajika wabuyela emzini wakhe.
27 Ngemva kokuthatha lokho uMika ayekwenzile nompristi wakhe, bahamba baya eLayishi, + kubantu ababezihlalele ngokuthula bengasoli lutho. + Bababulala ngenkemba, bashisa idolobha labo ngomlilo. 28 Kwakungekho muntu ozolikhulula, ngoba lalikude kakhulu neSidoni, lingenabudlelwane namuntu futhi lisethafeni* laseBheti-rehobe. + Ngemva kwalokho balakha kabusha lelo dolobha base behlala kulo. 29 Ngaphezu kwalokho, baqamba leli dolobha ngokuthi kukwaDani, + belibiza ngegama likayise uDani, owayezalwa u-Israyeli. + Kodwa ekuqaleni igama laleli dolobha kwakuyiLayishi. + 30 Ngemva kwalokho abakwaDani bazimisela umfanekiso oqoshiwe, + uJonathani + indodana kaGereshomu, + indodana kaMose, namadodana akhe baba ngabapristi besizwe sakwaDani kwaze kwaba isikhathi sokudingiswa. 31 Bawumisa lapho umfanekiso oqoshiwe owawenziwe uMika, wahlala lapho zonke izinsuku indlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso eyaqhubeka ngazo iseShilo. +