UMika labakoDani

18Ngalezonsuku kwakungelankosi koIsrayelia; langalezonsuku isizwe sakoDani sazidingela ilifa lokuhlala, ngoba kuze kube ngalolosuku babengawelwanga yilifa phakathi kwezizwe zakoIsrayelib.

2 Abantwana bakoDani basebethuma amadoda amahlanu avela kusendo lwabo esuka emaphethelweni abo, amaqhawe, evela eZora leEshitawolic, ukuhlola ilizwe lokuliphenyad. Basebesithi kuwo: Hambani liphenye ilizwe. Asefika entabeni yakoEfrayimi, endlini kaMika, alala khonae. 3 Esendlini kaMika wona alazi ilizwi lejaha umLevi; asephendukela khona athi kuye: Ngubani owakuletha lapha? Njalo wenzani lapha? Njalo ulani lapha? 4 Wasesithi kiwo: UMika ungenzele kanje lakanje; ungiqhatshile, sengingumpristi wakhef. 5 Asesithi kuye: Ake ubuzeg uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi ukuthi indlela yethu esihamba ngayo izaphumelela yinih. 6 Umpristi wasesithi kibo: Hambani ngokuthula. Indlela yenu elihamba ngayo iphambi kweNkosii.

7 Asehamba lawomadoda amahlanu, ayafika eLayishi, abona abantu abaphakathi kwayo, behlezi bonwabile, ngokwendlela yamaSidoni, belokuthula, bengethuki luthoj, kwakungelamahluleli elizweni ukubathiba, babekhatshana lamaSidoni, bengasebenzelani lamuntu. 8 Asefika kubafowabo eZora leEshitawolik, abafowabo basebesithi kuwo: Lithini? 9 Asesithi: Sukumani asenyuke simelane labo, ngoba sibonile ilizwel, khangelani-ke, lihle kakhulu; pho lina lithule? Lingavilaphi ukuyangena ukudla ilifa lelizwem. 10 Ekufikeni kwenu khona lizafika ebantwini abonwabileyo lelizweni elibanzin inhlangothi zombili, ngoba uNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni senu; indawo lapho okungasweleki lutho khona elizwenio.

11 Asesuka lapho evela kusendo lwabakoDani eZora leEshitawolip amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ehlomile izikhali zempi, 12 enyuka amisa inkamba eKiriyathi-Jeyarimi koJudaq. Ngenxa yalokho ayibiza leyondawo ngokuthi yiMahane-Danir kuze kube lamuhla; khangela isemuva kweKiriyathi-Jeyarimis. 13 Asesedlula esuka lapho, aya entabeni yakoEfrayimi, afika endlini kaMikat.

14 Khona amadoda amahlanu ayehambile ukuhlola ilizwe iLayishi aphendula athi kubafowabou: Liyazi yini ukuthi kulezizindlu kukhona i-efodi* lamatherafi lesithombe esibaziweyo lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa? Ngakho-ke cabangani elizakwenzav. 15 Asephambukela khona, aya endlini yejaha umLevi endlini kaMika, ambuza impilo. 16 Amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ayehlomile ngezikhali zempi, ayengabantwana bakoDani, asesima ekungeneni kwesangow. 17 Lawomadoda amahlanu ayehambile ukuhlola ilizwe enyuka angena laphox athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, le-efodi, lamatherafi, lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisay, umpristi esemi ekungeneni kwesango lamadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha ayebhince izikhali zempi. 18 La-ke esengenile endlini kaMika athatha isithombe esibaziweyo, i-efodi, lamatherafi, lesithombe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa, umpristi wathi kiwo: Lenzani? 19 Asesithi kuye: Thula, bamba umlomo wakho, uhambe lathiz, ube ngubaba kithi lompristi. Kungcono yini ukuthi ube ngumpristi wendlu yomuntu oyedwa kumbe ukuthi ube ngumpristi wesizwe losendo lwakoIsrayelia? 20 Lenhliziyo yompristi yathokoza, wasethatha i-efodi lamatherafi lesithombe esibaziweyo, wangena phakathi kwabantub. 21 Basebephenduka behamba, babeka abantwanyana lezifuyo lempahla phambi kwaboc.

22 Sebekhatshana lomuzi kaMika, amadoda ayesezindlini ezaziseduze lendlu kaMika abizelwa ndawonye abafica abantwana bakoDani. 23 Amemeza abantwana bakoDani. Basebephendula ubuso babo bathi kuMika: Ulani ukuze libuthane? 24 Wasesithi: Lithethe onkulunkulu bami engabenzayo, lompristi, lahamba; pho ngiseselani? Kuyini lokho elikutsho kimi: Uhlutshwa yinid? 25 Abantwana bakoDani basebesithi kuye: Ilizwi lakho kalingezwakali phakathi kwethu, hlezi amadoda alolaka akuhlasele, ulahlekelwe yimpilo yakho lempilo yabendlu yakho. 26 Basebezihambela ngendlela yabo abantwana bakoDani. Lapho uMika esebonile ukuthi balamandla kulaye, waphenduka wabuyela endlini yakhe. 27 Bona basebethatha lokho uMika ayekwenzile lompristi owayelaye, bafika eLayishi ebantwini ababelokuthula bengethuki luthoe, babatshaya ngobukhali benkemba, batshisa umuzi ngomlilof. 28 Njalo kwakungekho umkhululi, ngoba wawukhatshana leSidonig, bengasebenzelani lamuntu. Wawusesihotsheni esasingaseBeti-Rehobih. Basebesakha umuzi, bahlala kiwo. 29 Basebebiza ibizo lomuzi ngokuthi yiDanii ngebizo likaDani uyise owazalelwa uIsrayelij. Kodwa ibizo lomuzi laliyiLayishi kuqalak.

30 Abantwana bakoDani basebezimisela isithombe esibaziweyo. Njalo uJonathani indodana kaGereshoma, indodana kaManasel, yena lamadodana akhe babengabapristi besizwe sakoDani kwaze kwaba lusuku lokuthunjwa kwelizwem. 31 Basebezimisela isithombe esibaziweyo sikaMika ayesenzile, zonke izinsuku indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilon.