AbakwaDani nezithombe zikaMika
1Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Israyeli; ngalezo zinsuku isizwe sakwaDani sazifunela ifa lokuhlala, ngokuba kuze kube ngalolo suku babengabelwanga ifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwa-Israyeli. 2Abantwana bakwaDani bathuma abantu abayisihlanu bomndeni wabo, bephuma kuso sonke isizwe sabo, amaqhawe, beseSora nase-Eshitawoli, ukuba bahlole izwe, balicinge; bathi kubo: “Hambani, nilicinge izwe,” bafika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi endlini kaMika, bahlala khona. 3Lapha besengasendlini kaMika, balazi izwi lensizwa engumLevi, baphambukela khona, bathi kuye: “Walethwa ngubani lapha? Wenzani kule ndawo? Ufunani lapha?”
4Wathi kubo: “UMika ungenzele ukuthi nokuthi; ungiqashile ngaba ngumpristi wakhe.”
5Base bethi kuye: “Ake umbuze uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi uma indlela yethu esiyihambayo iyakuba nempumelelo.”
6Umpristi wathi kubo: “Hambani nokuthula; indlela eniyihambayo iphambi kukaJehova.”
Ukunqotshwa kweLayishi
7Base bemuka labo bantu abayisihlanu, bafika eLayishi, babona abantu abakulo ukuthi basahlala belondekile ngendlela yamaSidoni, benokuthula, bengenaluvalo, ngokuba kwakungekho ezweni onamandla ukuba abajabhise ngalutho; babekude namaSidoni, bengenandaba nabanye abantu.
8Babuye bafika kubafowabo eSora nase-Eshitawoli; abafowabo bathi kubo: “Nithini na?”
9Bathi: “Sukani, senyukele kubo, ngokuba silibonile izwe; bhekani, lihle kakhulu; niyathula yini? Ningenqeni ukuhamba, ningene ukuba nilidle izwe. 10Nxa nihamba, niyakufika kubantu abalondekileyo, izwe libanzi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni senu, indawo lapho kungekho khona ukuswela lutho olusemhlabeni.”
11Kwase kuphuma lapho kumndeni wakwaDani eSora nase-Eshitawoli abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhincile izikhali zokulwa. 12Benyuka, bamisa eKiriyati Jeharimi kwaJuda; ngalokho bayibiza leyo ndawo ngokuthi iMahane Dani kuze kube namuhla; bheka, lingasemva kweKiriyati Jeharimi. 13Basuka khona, baya ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, bafika endlini kaMika.
14Abantu abayisihlanu ababeyile ukuhlola izwe laseLayishi base bephendula, bathi kubafowabo: “Niyazi yini ukuthi kukhona kulezi zindlu ingubo yamahlombe, namatherafi,* nesithombe esibaziweyo, nesithombe esibunjiweyo na? Ngalokho cabangani manje ukuthi niyakwenzani.” 15Baphambuka khona, bafika endlini yensizwa yomLevi, endlini kaMika, bayibuza impilo. 16Abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhince izikhali zokulwa abangabantwana bakwaDani bema ngasesikhaleni sesango. 17Abantu abayisihlanu ababeyile ukuhlola izwe benyuka, bafika lapho, basithatha isithombe esibaziweyo, nengubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibunjiweyo; umpristi wema ngasesikhaleni sesango kanye nabantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhince izikhali zokulwa.
18Labo sebengenile endlini kaMika basithatha isithombe esibaziweyo, nengubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibunjiweyo; umpristi wathi kubo: “Nenzani na?”
19Bathi kuye: “Thula, ubeke isandla sakho emlonyeni wakho, uhambe nathi, ube ngubaba nompristi wethu; kuhle yini ukuba ube ngumpristi wendlu yomuntu munye kunokuba ube ngumpristi wesizwe nomndeni kwa-Israyeli na?” 20Yayisithokoza inhliziyo yompristi, wayithatha ingubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibaziweyo, wangena phakathi kwabantu. 21Baphenduka, bamuka, babeka izingane, nezinkomo, nempahla phambi kwabo.
22Sebekude nendlu kaMika abantu abasezindlini eziseduze nendlu kaMika babuthana, babafica abantwana bakwaDani. 23Bamemeza kubantwana bakwaDani, baphenduka, bathi kuMika: “Yini ukuba ufike nesixuku na?”
24Wathi: “Nithathile onkulunkulu bami engabenzayo, nompristi, namuka; ngisenani na? Nisholoni kimi ukuthi: ‘Yini na?’ ”
25Abantwana bakwaDani base bethi kuye: “Izwi lakho malingezwakali phakathi kwethu, funa abantu bathukuthele, banehlele, ulahlekelwe ngukuphila kwakho kanye nabendlu yakho.” 26Bahamba abantwana bakwaDani; uMika esebonile ukuthi banamandla kunaye, waphenduka, wabuyela endlini yakhe.
27Bathatha abekwenzile uMika nompristi wakhe, bafika eLayishi kubantu abanokuthula belondekile, bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba; bashisa umuzi ngomlilo. 28Kwakungekho owophulayo, ngokuba wawukude neSidoni; babengenandaba nabanye abantu; wawusesigodini esingaseBeti Rehobe. Bawakha umuzi, bahlala kuwo. 29Baqamba igama lomuzi ngokuthi uDani ngegama likaDani uyise owazalelwa u-Israyeli; kepha igama lomuzi laliyiLayishi kuqala. 30Abantwana bakwaDani bazimisela isithombe esibaziweyo; uJonathani indodana kaGereshomu kaMose yena namadodana akhe babe ngabapristi besizwe sakwaDani kwaze kwaba ngosuku lokuthunjwa kwezwe. 31Base bemisa isithombe esibaziweyo sikaMika abesenzile sonke isikhathi indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.
