1 Ngelo thuba ke uSirayeli wayengenakumkani. Ke yona indlu kaDan yayisazifunela umhlaba owawuza kuba lilifa layo, kuba ukuza kuthi ga ngoku yayingekafumani mhlaba ungowayo njengezinye izindlu zikaSirayeli.
2 Ngoko ke amaDan akhetha amagorha amahlanu awaziwayo, amela isizwe sawo siphela. Awakhupha eZora nase-Eshtawoli, awayala athi: “Hlolani ilizwe elo.”Athi akufika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, alalisa kwaMika.
3 Athe elapho akunakana ukubetha kolwimi lomfana womLevi, aza aya kuye, abuza athi: “Uzokwenza ntoni apha? Uze nabani?”
4 Uphendule wathi: “Hayi, ndilapha nje ndinezigqibo noMika; undiqeshe ukuba ndibe ngumbingeleli wakhe.”
5 La madoda ke amcela athi: “Khawusibuzele kuThixo, uqonde ukuba luza kuba nempumelelo na uhambo lwethu.”
6 Umbingeleli lowo ke waphendula wathi: “Ze ningaxhali; uhambo lwenu lusezandleni *zikaNdikhoyo.”
7 La madoda aphuma apho, afika eLayishe. Ke afumanisa ukuba abantu bakhona babengoyiki nto, koko babehleli ngokonwaba njengamaSidon. Yayiluhlanga oluzolileyo olungenanxa namntu, futhi lungaswele nto. Babemi kude namaSidon, futhi kungekho sizwe simbi banomnqophiso naso.
8 La madoda ke athi akubuyela ekhaya eZora nase-Eshtawoli abuzwa ngamawawo kwathiwa: “Ibinjani na ihambo?”
9 Ke wona aphendula athi: “Yizani, mawethu, masiye kuyihlasela iLayishe. Siwubonile laa mhlaba; mhle kakhulu. Ngoko ke sanukuba salibazisa; masithathe khona siye, siwohluthe laa mhlaba!
10 Nakufika khona niya kufumanisa ukuba abantu bakhona bazihlalele nje, abanaxhala lanto. Ewe, ilizwe elo lithe gabalala; mayela neentswelo zomntu kukwanto zilungile, ibe ke uThixo ulinikele kuni.”
11 Apho ke eZora nase-Eshtawoli amaDan akhupha umkhosi wamadoda angamakhulu amathandathu.
12 Enyuka aya kumisa entshona yeKiriyati-yarim kwelakwaJuda. Ngenxa yeso sizathu ke loo ndawo isabizwa ngokuba yiMarhane-dan unangoku.
13 Loo mkhosi ke waphuma apho, waya kutsho kwaMika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim.
14 Ke ezaa ntlola zintlanu zaziye kuhlola elo lizwe zada zaya kufika eLayishe, zathi kumawazo: “Ngaba benisazi na ukuba kwenye yezi zindlu kukho umfanekiso oqingqwe ngomthi watyatyekwa ngesiliva? Kukwakho nomnye umfanekiso otyhidiweyo, kunye *nemilonde-khaya, ndawonye *nesidanga. Niyayazi ke into emayenziwe!”
15 Ke kaloku zangena kwaMika, apho wayehlala khona umfana womLevi, zafika zabulisa zabuza impilo.
16 Ke wona umkhosi omakhulu mathandathu amadoda, lowa wawuxhobe waf' amacala, wawuthe xonkxosholo esangweni.
17 Ezo ntlola zathi ngqo endlwini, zafika zathatha loo mfanekiso uqingqiweyo, nalowo utyhidiweyo, kunye nemilonde-khaya ndawonye nesidanga, ngeli lixa yena umbingeleli wayesesesangweni nomkhosi lowo.
18 La madoda ke athi akungena endlwini kaMika athatha imifanekiso leyo ndawonye nesidanga. Ke umbingeleli lowo wawabuza wathi: “Nenza ntoni?”
19 Ke wona amyala athi: “Yithi tu, ungabi sayiphatha! Yiza, uhambe nathi, ube ngumfundisi nombingeleli wethu. Awutsho wena ukuba kubhetele ube ngumbingeleli wenye yezindlu zikaSirayeli endaweni yokuba ube ngumbingeleli womzi womntu omnye?”
20 Eli cebo lamkholisa umbingeleli lowo, waza ke wasithatha isidanga nemifanekiso ikunye nalowo uqingqiweyo, wahamba namaDan lawo.
21 Loo madoda ke ajika ahamba. Abantwana bawo, iinkomo, nako konke okwawo, akubeka ngaphambili.
22 Athe selemgama, uMika nabamelwana bahlab' umkhosi, baphuma besukelisa. Bathe bakusondela kumaDan apho
23 bawakhwaza. Ke wona ajika abuza kuMika athi: “Konakele phi? Ngowani lo mkhosi?”
24 UMika waphendula wathi: “Ningathini ukuthi: ‘Konakele phi?’ Nindohluthe oothixo bam endizenzele bona nombingeleli wam, nemka nabo! Ndosala nantoni mna?”
25 Ke amaDan aphendula athi: “Kubhetele ungabi sasingxolela, hleze la madoda anengcwangu akuhlasele. Xa inokwenzeka into enjalo, ungafa ndawonye nomzi wakho.”
26 Ke wona amaDan ahlabela mgama, ahamba. NoMika ke waqonda ukuba xa injalo ayingangaye, waza ke wajika wagoduka.
27 AmaDan ke akuba emthathile umbingeleli lowo ndawonye noothixo bakaMika, ahamba aya kuhlasela iLayishe, loo dolophu izole kunye nabantu bayo. Babatshabalalisa abemi bayo, ke yona idolophu bayitshisa.
28 Zange kubekho mhlanguli, kuba kaloku iLayishe le yayimgama eSidon, ibe ke nabemi bayo babengenamnqophiso nesinye isizwe. Ke iLayishe le yayimelene neBhete-rehobhi.AmaDan ke aphinda ayivusa loo dolophu, ema kuyo.
29 Igama layo elalisakuba yiLayishe alijika athi yiDan, eyithiya ngokhokho wawo unyana kaSirayeli.
30 AmaDan amisa umfanekiso oqingqiweyo wawo, aza amisela uJonatan, unyana kaGershom umzukulwana kaMosis, wangumbingeleli wesizwe. Nenzala yakhe ke yaba ngababingeleli besizwe sakwaDan, de elo zwe lathinjwa.
31 Umfanekiso owawenziwe nguMika wahlala uhleli apho ke ngalo lonke ixesha isibingelelo sikaThixo sasisekho eShilo.