ABAGWEBI 18

₁Ngaloo mihla kube kungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli. Ngaloo mihla isizwe sakwaDan besizifunela ilifa lendawo yokuhlala; ngokuba kwada kwanguloo mhla, sibe sona singabelwanga lifa ngeqashiso, phakathi kwesizwe sakwaSirayeli. ₂Oonyana bakaDan besusa kumlibo wakowabo amadoda amahlanu, evela kwinani lawo lonke, amadoda anobukroti aseTsora nase-Eshtawoli, ukuba alihlole ilizwe, aligocagoce. Bathi kuwo, Hambani niligocagoce ilizwe. Afika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim endlwini kaMika, alala khona. ₃Akubona ukuba angasendlwini kaMika, alifanisa ilizwi lendodana engumLevi, aphambukela khona, athi kuye, Ùziswe ngubani na apha? Wenza ntoni na kule ndawo? Ungantoni na apha? ₄Yathi kuwo, Wenjenje, wenjenje uMika kum; wandiqesha, ndaba ngumbingeleli kuye. ₅Athi kuyo, Khawubuze kuThixo, sazi ukuba iya kuba nempumelelo na indlela yethu esihambela yona. ₆Wathi umbingeleli kuwo, Hambani ninoxolo, iphambi koYehova indlela yenu eniya kuhamba ngayo.

₇Ahamba ke amadoda amahlanu afika eLayishe; ababona abantu abaphakathi kwayo, behleli bonwabile ngokwesiko lamaTsidon, bezolile, bonwabile; kungekho uwona nganto kubaphathi belo zwe; babekude kumaTsidon, bengatheni nabani.

₈Afika kubazalwana bawo eTsora nase-Eshtawoli. Bathi abazalwana bawo kuwo, Nitheni na? ₉Athi, Sukani, sinyuke siye kubo; ngokuba silibonile ilizwe; nalo lilihle kunene, ke nithe quthu. Musani ukunqena ukuhamba, niye kulihlutha ilizwe elo. ₁₀Xa nithe nafika, nofika kubantu abonwabileyo, kwilizwe eliphangaleleyo ngamacala omabini; ngokuba uThixo ulinikele ezandleni zenu, indawo apho kungàsweleke nanye into esehlabathini.

₁₁Kwanduluka ke kumlibo wakwaDan, eTsora nase-Eshtawoli, amadoda angamakhulu omathandathu, exhobe iimpahla zemfazwe. ₁₂Enyuka ke, amisa eKiriyati-yeharim yakwaYuda; ngenxa yoko bathi loo ndawo yiMahane yakwaDan• unanamhla. Nantso isemva kweKiriyati-yeharim. ₁₃Agqitha aya kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, afika endlwini kaMika.

₁₄Ke kaloku aphendula amadoda amahlanu, abezé kulihlola ilizwe laseLayishe, athi kubazalwana bawo, Niyazi na ukuba kwezi zindlu kukho iefodi,• nemilonde-khaya, nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo, nomtyhido? Ke ngoko kuqondeni eniza kukwenza. ₁₅Aphambukela khona, angena endlwini yendodana engumLevi, endlwini kaMika, ayibuza ukuphila kwayo. ₁₆Athi amadoda angamakhulu amathandathu axhobe iimpahla zemfazwe, akoonyana bakwaDan, ema ekungeneni kwesango.

₁₇Anyuka la madoda mahlanu abeye kulihlola ilizwe, aya khona, awuthabatha umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, ne-efodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomtyhido; waye umbingeleli lowo emi ekungeneni kwesango namadoda angamakhulu amathandathu axhobe iimpahla zemfazwe. ₁₈Akuba lawa engene endlwini kaMika, ewuthabathile umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, iefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomtyhido, uthe umbingeleli kuwo, Nenzani? ₁₉Athi kuye, Yithi tu, beka isandla sakho emlonyeni wakho, uhambe nathi, ube ngubawo nombingeleli kuthi. Kulungile na ukuba ube ngumbingeleli wendlu yamntu mnye, kunokuba ube ngumbingeleli wesizwe nomzalwana kwaSirayeli? ₂₀Yachwayitha intliziyo yombingeleli, wayithabatha iefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo, weza phakathi kwabantu abo. ₂₁Ajika ke, ahamba, azibeka iintsapho neemfuyo nezinto ezizukileyo phambi kwawo.

₂₂Akuba kude nendlu kaMika wona, athi amadoda asezindlwini ezingakwekaMika indlu ahlabelana umkhosi, eza afumanana noonyana bakaDan. ₂₃Amemeza koonyana bakaDan; baguquka ngobuso, bathi kuMika, Ùkhathazwa yini na, uhlaba umkhosi nje? ₂₄Wathi yena, Oothixo bam endabenzayo nibathabathile, nemka naye nombingeleli wam; ndisenantoni na? Nitsho ngani na ke ukuthi kum, Ukhathazwa yini na? ₂₅Bathi kuye oonyana bakaDan, Musa ukulivakalisa ilizwi lakho kuthi, hleze akugqibele amadoda amphefumlo ulugcalagcala, asuse umphefumlo wakho, nomphefumlo wendlu yakho. ₂₆Bahamba ke ngendlela yabo oonyana bakaDan. Wabona uMika ukuba bomelele kunaye, wajika wabuyela endlwini yakhe.

₂₇Bayithabatha ke bona into abeyenzile uMika, nombingeleli lowo abenaye; bafika eLayishe kubantu abazolileyo, abonwabileyo, bababulala ngohlangothi lwekrele, bawutshisa umzi ngomlilo. ₂₈Bekungekho mhlanguli, ngokuba bekude nowaseTsidon, bengatheni nabani, besentilini esingise eBhete-rehobhi. Bakha umzi, bahlala khona. ₂₉Bathi igama laloo mzi ngowakwaDan, ngegama likaDan uyise, owazalelwa uSirayeli; kodwa igama laloo mzi libe liyiLayishe ngenxa engaphambili. ₃₀Baza oonyana bakaDan bazimisela umfanekiso oqingqiweyo lowo; uYonatan unyana kaGershom, unyana kaManase, yena noonyana bakhe baba ngababingeleli esizweni sakwaDan, kwada kwayimini yokuthinjwa kwelizwe. ₃₁Bazimisela ke umfanekiso oqingqiweyo kaMika abewenzile, yonke imihla ebiseseShilo indlu kaThixo.