UMika namaDan
1Ngelo 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. 2Ngoko 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. 3Athe elapho akunakana ukubetha kolwimi lomfana womLevi, aza aya kuye, abuza athi: “Uzokwenza ntoni apha? Uze nabani?”
4Uphendule wathi: “Hayi, ndilapha nje ndinezigqibo noMika; undiqeshe ukuba ndibe ngumbingeleli wakhe.”
5La madoda ke amcela athi: “Khawusibuzele kuThixo, uqonde ukuba luza kuba nempumelelo na uhambo lwethu.”
6Umbingeleli lowo ke waphendula wathi: “Ze ningaxhali; uhambo lwenu lusezandleni *zikaNdikhoyo.”
7La 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. 8La madoda ke athi akubuyela ekhaya eZora nase-Eshtawoli abuzwa ngamawawo kwathiwa: “Ibinjani na ihambo?”
9Ke wona aphendula athi: “Yizani, mawethu, masiye kuyihlasela iLayishe. Siwubonile laa mhlaba; mhle kakhulu. Ngoko ke sanukuba salibazisa; masithathe khona siye, siwohluthe laa mhlaba! 10Nakufika 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.”
11Apho ke eZora nase-Eshtawoli amaDan akhupha umkhosi wamadoda angamakhulu amathandathu. 12Enyuka aya kumisa entshona yeKiriyati-yarim kwelakwaJuda. Ngenxa yeso sizathu ke loo ndawo isabizwa ngokuba yiMarhane-dan unangoku. 13Loo mkhosi ke waphuma apho, waya kutsho kwaMika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim.
14Ke 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!” 15Ke kaloku zangena kwaMika, apho wayehlala khona umfana womLevi, zafika zabulisa zabuza impilo.
16Ke wona umkhosi omakhulu mathandathu amadoda, lowa wawuxhobe waf' amacala, wawuthe xonkxosholo esangweni. 17Ezo ntlola zathi ngqo endlwini, zafika zathatha loo mfanekiso uqingqiweyo, nalowo utyhidiweyo, kunye nemilonde-khaya ndawonye nesidanga, ngeli lixa yena umbingeleli wayesesesangweni nomkhosi lowo.
18La madoda ke athi akungena endlwini kaMika athatha imifanekiso leyo ndawonye nesidanga. Ke umbingeleli lowo wawabuza wathi: “Nenza ntoni?”
19Ke 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?” 20Eli cebo lamkholisa umbingeleli lowo, waza ke wasithatha isidanga nemifanekiso ikunye nalowo uqingqiweyo, wahamba namaDan lawo.
21Loo madoda ke ajika ahamba. Abantwana bawo, iinkomo, nako konke okwawo, akubeka ngaphambili. 22Athe selemgama, uMika nabamelwana bahlab' umkhosi, baphuma besukelisa. Bathe bakusondela kumaDan apho 23bawakhwaza. Ke wona ajika abuza kuMika athi: “Konakele phi? Ngowani lo mkhosi?”
24UMika waphendula wathi: “Ningathini ukuthi: ‘Konakele phi?’ Nindohluthe oothixo bam endizenzele bona nombingeleli wam, nemka nabo! Ndosala nantoni mna?”
25Ke amaDan aphendula athi: “Kubhetele ungabi sasingxolela, hleze la madoda anengcwangu akuhlasele. Xa inokwenzeka into enjalo, ungafa ndawonye nomzi wakho.” 26Ke wona amaDan ahlabela mgama, ahamba. NoMika ke waqonda ukuba xa injalo ayingangaye, waza ke wajika wagoduka.
27AmaDan 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. 28Zange 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. 29Igama layo elalisakuba yiLayishe alijika athi yiDan, eyithiya ngokhokho wawo unyana kaSirayeli. 30AmaDan amisa umfanekiso oqingqiweyo wawo, aza amisela uJonatan, unyana kaGershom umzukulwana kaMosis, wangumbingeleli wesizwe. Nenzala yakhe ke yaba ngababingeleli besizwe sakwaDan, de elo zwe lathinjwa. 31Umfanekiso owawenziwe nguMika wahlala uhleli apho ke ngalo lonke ixesha isibingelelo sikaThixo sasisekho eShilo.
