1
Siku hizo hapakuwa na mfalme katika Israeli; tena katika siku hizo kabila ya Wadani wakajitafutia urithi wapate mahali pa kukaa; maana hata siku hiyo urithi wao haujawaangukia kati ya kabila za Israeli.
In those days there was no king in Israel, and the tribe of the Danites was looking for territory to occupy. For up to that time they had not come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
2
Basi wana wa Dani wakatuma watu wa jamaa zao, watu watano katika hesabu yao yote, watu mashujaa, kutoka Sora, na kutoka Eshtaoli, ili kuipeleleza hiyo nchi, kuiaua; wakawaambia, Haya, endeni mkaikague nchi hii; basi wakaifikilia nchi ya vilima vilima ya Efraimu, hata nyumba ya huyo Mika, Wakalala huko.
So the Danites sent out five men from their clans, men of valor from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. “Go and explore the land,” they told them. The men entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah, where they spent the night.
3
Basi hapo walipokuwa karibu na nyumba ya Mika, wakatambua sauti yake huyo hirimu, huyo Mlawi; ndipo wakageuka wakaenda kuko, na kumwuliza, Je! Ni nani aliyekuleta wewe huku? Nawe wafanya nini mahali hapa? Una kazi gani hapa?
And while they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite; so they went over and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”
4
Naye akawaambia, Hivi na hivi ndivyo alivyonifanyia Mika, ameniajiri, nami nimekuwa kuhani wake.
“Micah has done this and that for me,” he replied, “and he has hired me to be his priest.”
5
Nao wakamwambia, Tafadhali tutakie shauri la Mungu, ili tupate kujua kwamba njia yetu tuiendeayo itafanikiwa.
Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God to determine whether we will have a successful journey.”
6
Kuhani akawaambia, Haya endeni na amani; njia mnayoiendea i mbele za Bwana.
And the priest told them, “Go in peace. The LORD is watching over your journey.”
7
Ndipo hao watu watano wakaenda zao, wakafika Laisha, wakawaona wale watu waliokuwamo ndani yake, jinsi walivyokaa salama salimini kwa mfano wa walivyokaa hao Wasidoni, wenye starehe na hifadhi, kwa maana hapakuwa na mtu katika nchi hiyo aliyekuwa na amri, aliyeweza kuwatweza katika neno lo lote, nao walikuwa wa mbali na hao Wasidoni, wala hawakuwa na shughuli na mtu ye yote.
So the five men departed and came to Laish, where they saw that the people were living securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and unsuspecting. There was nothing lacking in the land and no oppressive ruler. And they were far away from the Sidonians and had no alliance with anyone.
8
Kisha wakawarudia ndugu zao huko Sora na Eshtaoli; ndugu zao wakawauliza; Haya, mna habari gani?
When the men returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers asked them, “What did you find?”
9
Wakasema, Haya, inukeni, twende tukapigane nao; kwa maana tumeiona hiyo nchi nayo ni nchi nzuri sana; nanyi, je! Mwanyamaa tu? Msiwe wavivu kwenda, na kuingia, ili mpate kuimiliki nchi hiyo.
They answered, “Come on, let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and it is very good. Why would you fail to act? Do not hesitate to go there and take possession of the land!
10
Hapo mtakapokwenda mtawafikilia watu wakaao salama salimini, na hiyo nchi nayo ni kubwa; kwa kuwa Mungu ameitia mikononi mwenu; ni mahali ambapo hapana kupungukiwa na kitu cho chote kilicho duniani.
When you enter, you will come to an unsuspecting people and a spacious land, for God has delivered it into your hand. It is a place where nothing on earth is lacking.”
11
Basi wakatoka hapo watu mia sita waliovaa silaha za vita, wa jamaa ya Wadani, kutoka Sora, na kutoka Eshtaoli.
So six hundred Danites departed from Zorah and Eshtaol, armed with weapons of war.
12
Wakakwea juu na kupiga kambi huko Kiriath-yearimu, katika Yuda; kwa sababu hiyo wakapaita mahali pale jina lake Mahane-dani hata hivi leo; tazama, ni hapo nyuma ya Kiriath-yearimu.
They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place west of Kiriath-jearim is called Mahaneh-dan to this day.
13
Nao wakapita huko hata hiyo nchi ya vilima vilima ya Efraimu, wakafikilia nyumba ya huyo Mika.
And from there they traveled to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14
Ndipo hao watu watano waliokwenda kuipeleleza nchi ya Laisha wakajibu, na kuwaambia ndugu zao Je! Ninyi mwajua ya kwamba mna naivera ndani ya nyumba hizi, na kinyago na sanamu ya kuchonga, na sanamu ya kusubu? Basi sasa fikirini iwapasayo kufanya.
Then the five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their brothers, “Did you know that one of these houses has an ephod, household gods, a graven image, and a molten idol? Now think about what you should do.”
15
Basi wakageuka wakaenda kuko, wakafikilia nyumba ya huyo hirimu, Mlawi, hata hiyo nyumba ya Mika, nao wakamwuliza habari za hali yake.
So they turned aside there and went to the home of the young Levite, the house of Micah, and greeted him.
16
Hao watu mia sita wenye kuvaa silaha zao za vita, waliokuwa ni wana wa Dani, wakasimama penye maingilio ya lango.
The six hundred Danites stood at the entrance of the gate, armed with their weapons of war.
17
Na hao watu watano waliokwenda kuipeleleza hiyo nchi wakakwea juu, wakaingia ndani, na kuitwaa hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga, na hiyo naivera, na kile kinyago, na hiyo sanamu ya kusubu; na huyo kuhani akasimama penye maingilio ya lango pamoja na hao watu waume sita mia wenye kuvaa silaha za vita.
And the five men who had gone to spy out the land went inside and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, while the priest stood at the entrance of the gate with the six hundred armed men.
18
Nao hapo walipoingia ndani ya nyumba ya Mika, na kuileta hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga, na hiyo naivera, na kile kinyago, na hiyo sanamu ya kusubu, huyo kuhani akawauliza, Je! Mwafanya nini ninyi?
When they entered Micah’s house and took the graven image, the ephod, the household idols, and the molten idol, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19
Wao wakamwambia, Nyamaza wewe, weka mkono wako kinywani mwako, uende pamoja nasi, uwe kwetu baba, tena kuhani; je! Ni vema kwako kuwa kuhani kwa ajili ya nyumba ya mtu mmoja, au kuwa kuhani kwa ajili ya kabila na jamaa katika Israeli?
“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”
20
Huyo kuhani moyo wake ukafurahi, naye akaitwaa hiyo naivera, na kile kinyago, na hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga, akaenda katikati ya hao watu.
So the priest was glad and took the ephod, the household idols, and the graven image, and went with the people.
21
Basi wakageuka wakaenda zao, lakini watoto wadogo na wanyama wao wa mifugo, na vyombo vyao, wakawatanguliza mbele yao.
Putting their small children, their livestock, and their possessions in front of them, they turned and departed.
22
Walipokuwa wamekwenda kitambo kizima kutoka nyumba ya Mika, wale watu waliokuwa katika nyumba zilizokuwa karibu na nyumba ya Mika walikutana, wakawaandama na kuwapata hao wana wa Dani.
After they were some distance from Micah’s house, the men in the houses near Micah’s house mobilized and overtook the Danites.
23
Wakawapigia kelele wana wa Dani. Nao wakageuza nyuso zao na kumwambia Mika, Una nini wewe, hata ukaja na mkutano namna hii?
When they called out after them, the Danites turned to face them and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you that you have called out such a company?”
24
Akasema, Ninyi mmeichukua miungu niliyoifanya, na huyo kuhani, nanyi mmekwenda zenu, nami nina nini tena? Basi imekuwaje ninyi kuniuliza, Una nini wewe?
He replied, “You took the gods I had made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you say to me, ‘What is the matter with you?’”
25
Hao wana wa Dani wakamwambia, Hiyo sauti yako isisikiwe kati yetu, wasije walio na hasira wakakuangukia, nawe ukapotewa na uhai wako, pamoja na uhai wa watu wa nyumbani mwako.
The Danites said to him, “Do not raise your voice against us, or angry men will attack you, and you and your family will lose your lives.”
26
Basi wana wa Dani wakaenda zao; naye Mika alipoona ya kuwa ni wenye nguvu kumshinda yeye, akageuka akarudi nyumbani kwake.
So the Danites went on their way, and Micah turned to go back home, because he saw that they were too strong for him.
27
Nao wakakitwaa hicho alichokuwa amekifanya Mika, na kuhani aliyekuwa naye nao wakafikilia Laisha, kwenye watu waliokuwa wenye starehe na hifadhi, wakawapiga kwa makali ya upanga; wakaupiga moto mji wao.
After they had taken Micah’s idols and his priest, they went to Laish, to a quiet and unsuspecting people, and they struck them with their swords and burned down the city.
28
Wala hakuwako mwokozi, kwa sababu huo mji ulikuwa ni mbali sana na Sidoni, nao hawakuwa na shughuli na mtu awaye yote; na mji huo ulikuwa katika hilo bonde lililo karibu na Bethrehobu. Nao wakaujenga huo mji na kukaa humo.
There was no one to deliver them, because the city was far from Sidon and had no alliance with anyone; it was in a valley near Beth-rehob. And the Danites rebuilt the city and lived there.
29
Wakauita mji jina lake Dani, kwa kuliandama jina la baba yao Dani, aliyezaliwa kwake Israeli; lakini jina la mji huo hapo kwanza ulikuwa ukiitwa Laisha.
They named it Dan, after their forefather Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city was formerly named Laish.
30
Kisha wana wa Dani wakajisimamishia hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga; na Yonathani mwana wa Gershomu, mwana wa Musa, yeye na wanawe walikuwa ni makuhani katika kabila ya Wadani hata siku ya kuchukuliwa mateka hiyo nchi.
The Danites set up idols for themselves, and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
31
Basi wakajisimamishia hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga aliyoifanya Mika, wakati wote ile nyumba ya Mungu ilipokuwako huko Shilo. </p>
So they set up for themselves Micah’s graven image, and it was there the whole time the house of God was in Shiloh.