ABAHLULELI 18

₁Ngalezozinsuku kwakungekho-nkosi kwaIsrayeli; ngalezozinsuku isizwe sakwaDani sazifunela ifa lokuhlala, ngokuba kuze kube-ngalolosuku babengabelwanga ifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwaIsrayeli.

₂Abantwana bakwaDani bathuma abantu abayisihlanu bomndeni wabo, bephuma kuso sonke isizwe sabo, amaqhawe, beseSora nase-Eshitawoli, ukuba bahlole izwe, balicinge; bathi kubo: Hambani, nilicinge izwe; bafika ezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi endlini kaMika, bahlala khona.

₃Lapha besengasendlini kaMika, balazi izwi lensizwa engumLevi, baphambukela khona, bathi kuye: Walethwa ngubani lapha? Wenzani kulendawo? Ufunani lapha?

₄Wathi kubo: UMika ungenzele ukuthi nokuthi; ungiqashile ngaba-ngumpristi wakhe.

₅Base bethi kuye: Ake umbuze uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi uma indlela yethu esiyihambayo iyakuba-nempumelelo.

₆Umpristi wathi kubo: Hambani nokuthula; indlela eniyihambayo iphambi kukaJehova.

₇Base bemuka labobantu abayisihlanu, bafika eLayishi, babona abantu abakulo ukuthi basahlala belondekile ngendlela yamaSidoni, benokuthula, bengenaluvalo, ngokuba kwakungekho ezweni onamandla ukuba abajabhise ngalutho; babekude namaSidoni, bengenandaba nabanye abantu.

₈Babuye bafika kubafowabo eSora nase-Eshitawoli; abafowabo bathi kubo: Nithini na?

₉Bathi: Sukani, senyukele kubo, ngokuba silibonile izwe; bhekani, lihle kakhulu; niyathula yini? Ningenqeni ukuhamba, ningene ukuba nilidle izwe.

₁₀Nxa nihamba, niyakufika kubantu abalondekileyo, izwe libanzi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni senu, indawo lapho kungekho khona ukuswela-lutho olusemhlabeni.

₁₁Kwase kuphuma lapho kumndeni wakwaDani eSora nase-Eshitawoli abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhincile izikhali zokulwa.

₁₂Benyuka, bamisa eKiriyati-Jeharimi kwaJuda; ngalokho bayibiza leyondawo ngokuthi iMahane-Dani kuze kube-namuhla; bheka, lingasemva kweKiriyati-Jeharimi.

₁₃Basuka khona, baya ezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi, bafika endlini kaMika.

₁₄Abantu abayisihlanu ababeyile ukuhlola izwe laseLayishi base bephendula, bathi kubafowabo: Niyazi yini ukuthi kukhona kulezizindlu ingubo yamahlombe, namatherafi*, nesithombe esibaziweyo, nesithombe esibunjiweyo na? Ngalokho cabangani manje ukuthi niyakwenzani.

₁₅Baphambuka khona, bafika endlini yensizwa yomLevi, endlini kaMika, bayibuza impilo.

₁₆Abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhincé izikhali zokulwa abangabantwana bakwaDani bema ngasesikhaleni sesango.

₁₇Abantu abayisihlanu ababeyile ukuhlola izwe benyuka, bafika lapho, basithatha isithombe esibaziweyo, nengubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibunjiweyo; umpristi wema ngasesikhaleni sesango kanye nabantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhincé izikhali zokulwa.

₁₈Labo sebengenile endlini kaMika basithatha isithombe esibaziweyo, nengubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibunjiweyo; umpristi wathi kubo: Nenzani na?

₁₉Bathi kuye: Thula, ubeke isandla sakho emlonyeni wakho, uhambe nathi, ube-ngubaba nompristi wethu; kuhle yini ukuba ube-ngumpristi wendlu yomuntu munye kunokuba ube-ngumpristi wesizwe nomndeni kwaIsrayeli na?

₂₀Yayisithokoza inhliziyo yompristi, wayithatha ingubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibaziweyo, wangena phakathi kwabantu.

₂₁Baphenduka, bamuka, babeka izingane, nezinkomo, nempahla phambi kwabo.

₂₂Sebekude nendlu kaMika abantu abasezindlini eziseduze nendlu kaMika babuthana, babafica abantwana bakwaDani.

₂₃Bamemeza kubantwana bakwaDani, baphenduka, bathi kuMika: Yini ukuba ufike nesixuku na?

₂₄Wathi: Nithathile onkulunkulu bami engabenzayo, nompristi, namuka; ngisenani na? Nisholoni kimi ukuthi: Yini na?

₂₅Abantwana bakwaDani base bethi kuye: Izwi lakho malingezwakali phakathi kwethu, funa abantu bathukuthele, banehlele, ulahlekelwe ngukuphila kwakho kanye nabendlu yakho.

₂₆Bahamba abantwana bakwaDani; uMika esebonile ukuthi banamandla kunaye, waphenduka, wabuyela endlini yakhe.

₂₇Bathatha abekwenzile uMika nompristi wakhe, bafika eLayishi kubantu abanokuthula belondekile, bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba; bashisa umuzi ngomlilo.

₂₈Kwakungekho owophulayo, ngokuba wawukude neSidoni; babengenandaba nabanye abantu; wawusesigodini esingaseBeti-Rehobe. Bawakha umuzi, bahlala kuwo.

₂₉Baqamba igama lomuzi ngokuthi uDani ngegama likaDani uyise owazalelwa uIsrayeli; kepha igama lomuzi laliyiLayishi kuqala.

₃₀Abantwana bakwaDani bazimisela isithombe esibaziweyo; uJonathani indodana kaGereshomu kaMose yena namadodana akhe babengabapristi besizwe sakwaDani kwaze kwaba-ngosuku lokuthunjwa kwezwe.

₃₁Base bemisa isithombe esibaziweyo sikaMika abesenzile sonke isikhathi indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.