Maika ndi 'Bakala Dana robe
1 Tu gi kai si 'bädri'ba aza i'do Yisaraele ya. Ago tu gi kai si 'bakala Dana ro kadri ugu vouṛi orizana kigye; tana 'dooko ànya usuyi vo dri ko andivo ànyaro ri 'bakalai Yisaraele ro lako. 2 Ta'dota lidri Dana ro njiyi lidri tauni'bai azaka te nji ni katidri cini 'bakala 'do ro yasi ago zoyi ànya teni 'ba'desii Zora ndi Esetaola be yasi oyine wari ana marine ago täkyine. Ondro ànya kesayite 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima roya oko, ànya kyi riyite 'ba Maika roya. 3 Ondro ànya dri gba dri orivoya lau oko, ànya niyi drî Lewe'ba se agoanji ro ana rote, ta'doro ànya oyiyite ndare ago ejiyi nda te ekye: “A'di ezi mi ni noŋwa ya?” Nya e'di oye noŋwa ya?
4 Ago nda zatadri ànyaro te ekye: “Màra tavote Maika be, se 'ba ma te kohani ro ndäri päläti dri.” 5 Ago ànya atayite ndäri ekye: “Mòlo'baru miri, nyeji Lu ta amaro ta kode ikyi gi mìkyibe ono tana a'dona gindi kadoro ya.”
6 Ago kohani ana zatadrite ekye: “Nyòyi liatokpe ro. Aba amiro ono ya OPI kani vo amiro ondrena.”
7 'Dooko lidri se nji kai oyiyite ago sayite 'ba'desi Laisa ya. Ànya ndreyi lidri se kabe ori lau kai te ànya kayi ori dritai ro, oso Sidona'bai ronye, ànya orivoya liatokpero ago trwe teinye kalaope ako iyivoya; ànya teinye lemeri ŋga aza ro ako. Ànya riyite lozo di ni Sidona'bai resi ago ànya teinye ta aza ako lidri aza be. 8 Ondro lidri se nji kai kegoyite Zora ndi Esetaola be ya oko, lidri azi ànyaro ejiyi ànya te tase ànya koyi kondrebe lau ana tana ro. 9 Ànya logoyitate ekye: “Mìŋga teri. Nyìkyi mòyi ri Laisa gotane. Tana màndre wari ana te, ago orivoya vo kadopara yi. Mìri ko losiako noŋwa; nyèleye ko! Mìci teri kigye ago mìru ri. 10 Ondro mìsate lau, nyusuna lidri lau ana teinye mio'ba ako ta ŋga aza rota. 'Bädri ana orivoya bäräŋgälä, ŋgase cini lidri kolebe 'bädri ya orivoya lau, ago Lu ozo ṛote ämiri.”
11 Ta'dota lidri kama njidrialo (600) ni 'bakala Dana ro yasi se nja kyila oyene foyite ni Zora ndi Esetaola be yasi. 12 Ànya oyiyite ago otoyi gawa te Kiriyata Jarima se Yuda ya ana ya. 'Do ni tase a'debe vose ana uzine 'du Mahanedana le tu ono si ono owo. 13 Ago ànya lävuyite ni nasi le zo Maika roya 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima roya.
14 'Dooko lidri se nji se koyiyibe 'bädri Laisa ro marine kai atayite azi ànyaro ri ekye: “Inye'do mìni gindi lu awi se ändru lomvona mo'di si orivoya alo aza zo kwoi roya ya? Ago lu awi azaka kpa orivoya noŋwa ndi boŋgo gajuṛuŋwa kätätidri robe. Nyùsu amiro be màyena eŋwanye ya?” 15 Ta'dota ànya ciyite zo Maika roya, vose Lewe'ba se agoanji ro ana koribe kigye ana ya, ago ejiyi Lewe'ba ana te ta a'do ndaro rota. 16 'Dooko kyila'bai se kama njidrialo (600) ni Dana yasi, nja kyila oyene kai orivoya edrevoya dereŋwa kala. 17 'Dooko kamari'bai se nji se koyibe wari marine kai, ciyite zo ya ago ruyi lu awi se ce ro se ändru lomvona be mo'di si ana, ago lu awi azaka ndi boŋgo gajuṛuŋwa kätätidri robe te, 'dooko kohani dri edrevoya dereŋwa kala kyila'bai se kama njidrialo (600) kai yibe.
18 Ondro lidri se kai kociyite zo Maika roya ago kuruyi lu se ändru lomvona mo'di si, boŋgo gajuṛuŋwa kätätidriro ndi lui awi azaka kai be te oko, kohani se ana eji ànya te ekye: “Nyà 'do e'di oye ya?”
19 Ànya atayite ndäri ekye: “Nya'do titiro. Nyata ta aza ko. Nyikyi mòyi ami yibe nya'do ro kohani ro ago tavoata'ba ro ämäri. Eŋwani ni kado miri a'done kohani ro 'bakala cini Yisaraele ro ri kode toto katidri alodi riya?” 20 Ago ata ana i'dwe ya kohani ana ro tawi, ta'doro nda ru ŋgase cini alokado kai te, ago oyite sina lidri Dana robe.
21 Ànya etoyi oyite, ago ànya 'beyidri ŋgàga giṛiŋwà ro, koronyai'ba ro, ndi lakazà ànyaro be rote käti ànya mile. 22 Ondro ànya koyiyite ga lozo ni 'ba Maika ro lomvosi oko, Maika zi oriazii ndaro te ukyine kyila oyene. Ànya kyi tayivo lidri Dana ro rote. 23 Ànya treyite lidri Dana ro dri, 'dooko lidri Dana ro ezayi mi te ago ejiyi Maika te ekye: “E'diyi ya? Nyikyi gwo lowa be amba etaya?”
24 Maika zatadrite ekye: “Nyùsu ta e'diro ya? Ta e'di a'doni ya? Miru kohani maro ndi lui se medebe te ago nyoyite sina! Inye'do nye'be e'diyi märi ya? Minina eŋgwanye ma ejine mikye: ‘Ta e'di a'doni ya?’ ”
25 Ago lidri Dana ro atayite ndäri ekye: “Nyototre ko ama vo iga ukyi lidri ono a'do 'da kyilaro mibe. Se 'dooko mi ndi katidri miro be mìdrana ndi.” 26 'Dooko lidri Dana ro uguyi oyite, ago ondro Maika kondrete mbara ànyaro te ndrani nda drisi oko, nda tadrite oyite kovole 'ba ndaro ya.
27 Ondro lidri Dana ro kuruyi kohani ndi ŋgase cini Maika kedebe ana be te oko, ànya oyiyi gotayi Laisa se, lidri na ka ori trwe ago liatokpero ana te. Ànya tufuyi 'dise cini koribe kigye ana te ago zayi 'ba'desi ana te asi si. 28 'Diaza a'do te i'do ànya opane, tana Laisa orivoya lozo ni Sidona resi, ago ànya teinye lidri aza ako se driuruazi ànyaro. 'Ba'desi ana orivoya vodelero ya loto Beterehoba lomvo. Lidri Dana ro go beyi 'ba'desi ana te ago riyite lau. 29 Ago go ziyi ävuru 'ba'desi Laisa rote Dana, ävuru zutu ànyaro Dana, ŋgwa Yakoba ro dri. 30 Lidri Dana ro edreyi lu awi se ana te lau mätune, ago Jonatana ŋgwa Geresoma ro, kwozo Musa ro, indurute kohani ro 'bakala Dana ro ri, ago zelevoi ndaro induruyite kohanii ro ànyari madale äru lidri gwo midiro. 31 Ànya edreyi lu awi se Maika kedebe 'do te 'du lau oso Mutuguṛi OPI ro koribe 'du Silo ya ronye.
1 These things happened before kings ruled Israel.
The Tribe of Dan Takes Micah's Priest and Idols
About this time, the tribe of Dan was looking for a place to live. The other tribes had land, but the people of Dan did not really have any to call their own. 2 The tribe chose five warriors to represent their clans and told them, “Go and find some land where we can live.”
The warriors left the area of Zorah and Eshtaol and went into the hill country of Ephraim. One night they stayed at Micah's house, 3 because they heard the young Levite talking, and they knew from his accent that he was from the south. They asked him, “What are you doing here? Who brought you here?”
4 The Levite replied, “Micah hired me as his priest.” Then he told them how well Micah had treated him.
5 “Please talk to God for us,” the men said. “Ask God if we will be successful in what we are trying to do.”
6 “Don't worry,” answered the priest. “The Lord is pleased with what you are doing.”
7 The five men left and went to the town of Laish, whose people were from Sidon, but Sidon was too far away to protect them. Even though their town had no walls, the people thought they were safe from attack. So they had not asked anyone else for protection, which meant that the tribe of Dan could easily take over Laish.
8 The five men went back to Zorah and Eshtaol, where their relatives asked, “Did you find any land?”
9-10 “Let's go!” the five men said. “We saw some very good land with enough room for all of us, and it has everything we will ever need. What are you waiting for? Let's attack and take it. You'll find that the people think they're safe, but God is giving the land to us.”
11 Six hundred men from the tribe of Dan strapped on their weapons and left Zorah and Eshtaol with their families. 12 One night they camped near Kiriath-Jearim in the territory of Judah, and that's why the place just west of Kiriath-Jearim is still known as Dan's Camp. 13 Then they went into the hill country of Ephraim.
When they came close to Micah's house, 14 the five men who had been spies asked the other warriors, “Did you know that someone in this village has several idols and a sacred priestly vest? What do you think we should do about it?”
15-18 The 600 warriors left the road and went to the house on Micah's property where the young Levite priest lived. They stood at the gate and greeted the priest. Meanwhile, the five men who had been there before went into Micah's house and took the sacred priestly vest and the idols.
“Hey!” the priest shouted. “What do you think you're doing?”
19 “Quiet!” the men said. “Keep your mouth shut and listen. Why don't you come with us and be our priest, so you can tell us what God wants us to do? You could stay here and be a priest for one man's family, but wouldn't you rather be the priest for a clan or even a whole tribe of Israel?”
20 The priest really liked that idea. So he took the vest and the idols and joined the others 21 from the tribe of Dan. Then they turned and left, after putting their children, their cattle, and the rest of their other possessions in front.
22 They had traveled for some time before Micah asked his neighbors to help him get his things back. He and his men caught up with the people of Dan 23 and shouted for them to stop.
They turned to face him and asked, “What's wrong? Why did you bring all these men?”
24 Micah answered, “You know what's wrong. You stole the gods I made, and you took my priest. I don't have anything left.”
25 “We don't want to hear any more about it,” the people of Dan said. “And if you make us angry, you'll only get yourself and your family killed.” 26 After saying this, they turned and left.
Micah realized there was no way he could win a fight with them, and so he went back home.
The Tribe of Dan Captures Laish
27-28 The tribe of Dan took Micah's priest and the things Micah had made, and headed for Laish, which was located in a valley controlled by the town of Beth-Rehob. Laish was defenseless, because it had no walls and was too far from Sidon for the Sidonians to help defend it. The leaders of Laish had not even asked nearby towns to help them in case of an attack.
The warriors from Dan made a surprise attack on Laish, killing everyone and burning it down. Then they rebuilt the town and settled there themselves. 29 But they named it Dan, after one of Israel's sons, who was the ancestor of their tribe.
30-31 Even though the place of worship was in Shiloh, the people of Dan set up the idol Micah had made. They worshiped the idol, and the Levite was their priest. His name was Jonathan, and he was a descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. His descendants served as priests for the tribe of Dan, until the people of Israel were taken away as prisoners by their enemies.