ABagwebi 18:1-31
18 Ngaloo mihla kwakungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli.+ Yaye ngaloo mihla isizwe samaDan+ sasizifunela ilifa ukuze sihlale kulo, kuba kude kube ngoko sasingazange sifumane lifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwaSirayeli.+
2 AmaDan athumela amadoda amahlanu entsapho yawo, amadoda afanelekayo avela eTsora nase-Eshtawoli,+ ukuba aye kuhlola ilizwe. Athi kuwo: “Hambani niye kuhlola ilizwe.” Ukufika kwawo kummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim, endlini kaMika,+ achitha ubusuku apho.
3 Xa ayesele ekufutshane endlini kaMika, eva ilizwi aza aqonda ukuba lelalaa mfana ungumLevi, aya kuye aza athi: “Uziswe ngubani apha? Wenza ntoni kule ndawo? Ufuna ntoni apha?”
4 Wawaphendula wathi: “UMika undenzele le naleya, waza wandiqesha ukuba ndibe ngumbingeleli wakhe.”+
5 Athi kuye: “Sicela usibuzele kuThixo ukuba indlela yethu iza kuphumelela na.”
6 Umbingeleli wathi kuwo: “Hambani ngoxolo. UYehova uza kuba nani kuhambo lwenu.”
7 Ngoko la madoda mahlanu ahamba aya kutsho eLayishe.+ Abona indlela ababengaxhomekekanga mntwini ngayo abantu bakhona, kanye njengamaSidon. Babezolile, bengacingeli nto,+ yaye kwakungekho mcinezeli ubaphazamisayo. Babekude namaSidon, kungekho nto ibadibanisa nabanye abantu.
8 Xa loo madoda abuyela kubantakwabo eTsora nase-Eshtawoli,+ bathi kuwo: “Nihambe njani?”
9 Wona athi: “Masiye kubahlasela, kuba silibonile ilizwe ukuba lihle gqitha. Kutheni nithingaza nje? Sanukulibazisa, hambani niyokuthatha ela lizwe.
10 Ukufika kwenu, niza kudibana nabantu abangacingeli nto,+ nelizwe lithe gabalala. UThixo ulinikele kuni, indawo ekungadingeki nto kuyo kuzo zonke izinto ezikhoyo emhlabeni.”+
11 Emva koko, amadoda ayi-600 entsapho yamaDan axhobele imfazwe ahamba eTsora nase-Eshtawoli.+
12 Enyuka aya kumisa inkampu eKiriyati-yarim+ kwaYuda. Yiyo le nto loo ndawo, engakwintshona yeKiriyati-yarim, ibizwa ngokuba yiMahane-dan*+ de kube namhlanje.
13 Asuka apho adlulela kummandla weentaba wakwaEfrayim aza aya kufika endlini kaMika.+
14 Emva koko, laa madoda mahlanu awayeye kuhlola ilizwe laseLayishe+ athi kubantakwabo: “Benisazi na ukuba kwezi zindlu kukho iefodi, izithixo zekhaya, umfanekiso oqingqiweyo nomfanekiso wesinyithi?+ Cingani ukuba nimele nithini.”
15 Ngoko bema apho, aza la madoda mahlanu aya kwindlu yalaa mfana ungumLevi+ endlini kaMika, ambuza impilo.
16 Ngalo lonke elo xesha, amadoda ayi-600 akwaDan+ axhobele imfazwe, ayemi egeyithini.
17 Amadoda amahlanu awayeye kuhlola ilizwe+ angena ukuze athathe umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, iefodi,+ izithixo zekhaya+ nomfanekiso wesinyithi.+ (Umbingeleli+ wayemi egeyithini namadoda ayi-600 axhobele imfazwe.)
18 Angena endlini kaMika, athatha umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, iefodi, izithixo zekhaya nomfanekiso wesinyithi. Umbingeleli wathi kuwo: “Nenza ntoni?”
19 Wona athi kuye: “Thula. Beka isandla sakho emlonyeni, uze uhambe nathi ube ngutata wethu* nombingeleli wethu. Yeyiphi ebhetele, ukuba ngumbingeleli endlini yendoda enye+ okanye ukuba ngumbingeleli wesizwe nentsapho yakwaSirayeli?”+
20 Umbingeleli wayithanda loo nto, yaye wathatha iefodi, izithixo zekhaya nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo+ waza wahamba nabo bantu.
21 Emva koko ajika ahamba, ahambisa abantwana, imfuyo nezinto zexabiso phambili.
22 Athi sele emgama kwindlu kaMika, amadoda awayehlala kwizindlu ezikufuphi nendlu kaMika adibana, aleqa amaDan aza awafumana.
23 Athi la madoda akukhwaza, amaDan ajika awajonga aza athi kuMika: “Yintoni ingxaki? Nidityaniswe yintoni apha?”
24 Wathi: “Nithathe oothixo bam endabenzayo, naza nahamba nombingeleli wam. Nindishiye nantoni? Nitsho njani ke ukuthi, ‘Yintoni ingxaki yakho?’”
25 AmaDan athi kuye: “Sukusingxolisa, kuba amadoda anomsindo* asenokukuhlasela, uze wena nendlu yakho niphulukane nobomi benu.”
26 Ngoko amaDan ahamba; yaye uMika wabona ukuba anamandla kunaye, waza wajika wabuyela endlini yakhe.
27 Emva kokuba ethathe izinto ezazenziwe nguMika, aza athatha nombingeleli wakhe, aya eLayishe,+ kwisizwana esithuleyo nesingacingeli nto.+ Asibulala ngekrele, aza asitshisa isixeko.
28 Kwakungekho mntu wakusihlangula, kuba sasikude neSidon, kungekho nto isidibanisa nabanye abantu, ibe sasisentlanjeni yaseBhete-rehobhi.*+ Aphinda asakha eso sixeko aza ahlala kuso.
29 Asibiza ngokuthi yiDan+ ngegama likatata wawo uDan, owayezelwe nguSirayeli.+ Kodwa ke igama esasikade sibizwa ngalo esi sixeko yiLayishe.+
30 Emva koko amaDan azimisela laa mfanekiso uqingqiweyo;+ yaye uYonatan+ unyana kaGershom,+ unyana kaMoses, noonyana bakhe baba ngababingeleli kwisizwe sakwaDan de abahlali belo lizwe bathinjwa.
31 Awumisa loo mfanekiso uqingqiweyo wawenziwe nguMika, ibe wahlala ulapho yonke imihla eyayikho ngayo indlu yoThixo wokwenene eShilo.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ethetha ukuthi “Inkampu YamaDan.”
^ Okanye “ngumcebisi.”
^ Okanye “amadoda anomphefumlo okrakra.”
^ Okanye “sasisethafeni laseBhete-rehobhi.”
