1 In those days there was no king in Israel: and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought them an inheritance to dwell in; for unto that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.
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.
2 And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their coasts, men of valour, from Zorah, and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land, and to search it; and they said unto them, Go, search the land: who when they came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah, they lodged there.
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.
3 When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man the Levite: and they turned in thither, and said unto him, Who brought thee hither? and what makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?
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?
4 And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.
Naye akawaambia, Hivi na hivi ndivyo alivyonifanyia Mika, ameniajiri, nami nimekuwa kuhani wake.
5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
Nao wakamwambia, Tafadhali tutakie shauri la Mungu, ili tupate kujua kwamba njia yetu tuiendeayo itafanikiwa.
6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
Kuhani akawaambia, Haya endeni na amani; njia mnayoiendea i mbele za Bwana.
7 Then the five men departed, and came to Laish, and saw the people that were therein, how they dwelt careless, after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and secure; and there was no magistrate in the land, that might put them to shame in any thing; and they were far from the Zidonians, and had no business with any man.
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.
8 And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?
Kisha wakawarudia ndugu zao huko Sora na Eshtaoli; ndugu zao wakawauliza; Haya, mna habari gani?
9 And they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land, and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful to go, and to enter to possess the land.
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.
10 When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure, and to a large land: for God hath given it into your hands; a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth.
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.
11 And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.
Basi wakatoka hapo watu mia sita waliovaa silaha za vita, wa jamaa ya Wadani, kutoka Sora, na kutoka Eshtaoli.
12 And they went up, and pitched in Kirjath-jearim, in Judah: wherefore they called that place Mahaneh-dan unto this day: behold, it is behind Kirjath-jearim.
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.
13 And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.
Nao wakapita huko hata hiyo nchi ya vilima vilima ya Efraimu, wakafikilia nyumba ya huyo Mika.
14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
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.
15 And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.
Basi wakageuka wakaenda kuko, wakafikilia nyumba ya huyo hirimu, Mlawi, hata hiyo nyumba ya Mika, nao wakamwuliza habari za hali yake.
16 And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood by the entering of the gate.
Hao watu mia sita wenye kuvaa silaha zao za vita, waliokuwa ni wana wa Dani, wakasimama penye maingilio ya lango.
17 And the five men that went to spy out the land went up, and came in thither, and took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image: and the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were appointed with weapons of war.
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.
18 And these went into Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, What do ye?
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?
19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?
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?
20 And the priest's heart was glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.
Huyo kuhani moyo wake ukafurahi, naye akaitwaa hiyo naivera, na kile kinyago, na hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga, akaenda katikati ya hao watu.
21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
Basi wakageuka wakaenda zao, lakini watoto wadogo na wanyama wao wa mifugo, na vyombo vyao, wakawatanguliza mbele yao.
22 And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together, and overtook the children of Dan.
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.
23 And they cried unto the children of Dan. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?
Wakawapigia kelele wana wa Dani. Nao wakageuza nyuso zao na kumwambia Mika, Una nini wewe, hata ukaja na mkutano namna hii?
24 And he said, Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and the priest, and ye are gone away: and what have I more? and what is this that ye say unto me, What aileth thee?
Akasema, Ninyi mmeichukua miungu niliyoifanya, na huyo kuhani, nanyi mmekwenda zenu, nami nina nini tena? Basi imekuwaje ninyi kuniuliza, Una nini wewe?
25 And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.
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.
26 And the children of Dan went their way: and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.
Basi wana wa Dani wakaenda zao; naye Mika alipoona ya kuwa ni wenye nguvu kumshinda yeye, akageuka akarudi nyumbani kwake.
27 And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people that were at quiet and secure: and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and burnt the city with fire.
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.
28 And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Beth-rehob. And they built a city, and dwelt therein.
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.
29 And they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel: howbeit the name of the city was Laish at the first.
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.
30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
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.
31 And they set them up Micah's graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Basi wakajisimamishia hiyo sanamu ya kuchonga aliyoifanya Mika, wakati wote ile nyumba ya Mungu ilipokuwako huko Shilo.
