¹ Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungekho nkosi kwa -Israyeli; ngalezo zinsuku isizwe sakwaDani sazifunela ifa lokuhlala , ngokuba kuze kube ngalolo suku babengabelwanga ifa phakathi kwezizwe zakwa-Israyeli. ² Abantwana bakwaDani bathuma abantu abayisihlanu bomn deni wabo , bephuma kuso sonke isizwe sabo , amaqhawe, beseSora nase -Eshitawoli, ukuba bahlole izwe , balicinge; bathi kubo: Hambani, nilicinge izwe, bafika ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi endlini kaMika, bahlala khona. ³ Lapha besengasendlini kaMika , balazi izwi lensizwa engumLevi , baphambukela khona, bathi kuye : Walethwa ngubani lapha ? Wenzani kule ndawo? Ufunani lapha? ⁴ Wathi kubo: UMika ungenzele ukuthi nokuthi; ungiqashile ngaba ngumpristi wakhe. ⁵ Base bethi kuye : Ake umbuze uNkulunkulu ukuze sazi uma indlela y ethu esiyihambayo iyakuba nempumelelo. ⁶ Umpristi wathi kubo : Hambani nokuthula ; indlela eniyihambayo iphambi kukaJehova. Ukunqotshwa kweLayishi ⁷ Base bemuka labo bantu abayisihlanu , bafika eLayishi , babona abantu abakulo ukuthi basahlala belondekile ngendl ela yamaSidoni , benokuthula, bengenaluvalo, ngokuba kwakungekho ezweni onamandla ukuba abajabhise ngalutho; babekude namaSidoni, bengenandaba nabanye abantu. ⁸ Babuye bafika kubafowabo eSora nase -Eshitawoli; abafowabo bathi kubo : Nithini na? ⁹ Bathi: Sukani, senyukele kubo , ngokuba silibonile izwe ; bhekani, lihle kakhulu; niyathula yini? Ningenqeni ukuhamba, ningene ukuba nilidle izwe. ¹⁰ Nxa nihamba , niyakufika kubantu abalondekileyo , izwe libanzi , ngokuba uNkulunkulu ulinikele esandleni senu , indawo lapho ku ngekho khona ukuswela lutho olusemhlabeni. ¹¹ Kwase kuphuma lapho kumndeni wakwaDani eSora nase -Eshitawoli abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhincile izikhali zokulwa. ¹² Benyuka, bamisa eKiriyati Jeharimi kwaJuda; ngalokho bayibiza leyo ndawo ngokuthi iMah ane Dani kuze kube namuhla ; bheka, lingasemva kweKiriyati Jeharimi. ¹³ Basuka khona, baya ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi, bafika endlini kaMika. ¹⁴ Abantu abayisihlanu ababeyile ukuhlola izwe laseLayishi base bephendula, bathi kubafowabo : Niyazi yini ukuthi kukho na kulezi zindlu ingubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibaziweyo , nesithombe esibunjiweyo na? Ngalokho cabangani manje ukuthi niyakwenzani. ¹⁵ Baphambuka khona , bafika endlini yensizwa yomLevi , endlini kaMika , bayibuza impilo. ¹⁶ Abantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhince izikhali zokulwa abangabantwana bakwaDani bema ngasesikhaleni sesango. ¹⁷ Abantu abayisihlanu ababeyile ukuhlola izwe benyuka , bafika lapho , basithatha isithombe esibaziweyo , nengubo yamahlombe , namatherafi, nesithombe esibunjiweyo ; umpristi wema ngasesikhaleni sesango kanye nabantu abangamakhulu ayisithupha bebhince izikhali zokulwa. ¹⁸ Labo sebengenile endlini kaMika basithatha isithombe esiba ziweyo, nengubo yamahlombe, namatherafi, nesithombe esibunjiweyo; umpristi wathi kubo: Nenzani na? ¹⁹ Bathi 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 kwa -Israyeli na? ²⁰ Yayisithokoza inhliziyo yompristi , wayithatha ingubo yamahlombe , namatherafi, nesithombe esibaziweyo, wangena phakathi kwabantu. ²¹ Baphenduka, bamuka, babeka izingane , nezinkomo, nempahla phambi kwabo. ²² Sebekude nendlu kaMika abantu abasezindlini eziseduze nendlu kaMika babuthana, babafica abantwana bakwaDani. ²³ Bamemeza kubantwana bakwaDani, baphenduka, bathi kuMika: Yini ukuba ufike nesixuku na? ²⁴ Wathi: Nithathile onkulunkulu bami engabenzayo , nompristi, namuka; ngisenani na? Nisholoni kimi ukuthi: Yini na? ²⁵ Abantwana bakwaDani base beth i kuye : Izwi lakho malingezwakali phakathi kwethu , funa abantu bathukuthele , banehlele, ulahlekelwe ngukuphila kwakho kanye nabendlu yakho. ²⁶ Bahamba abantwana bakwaDani ; uMika esebonile ukuthi banamandla kunaye, waphenduka, wabuyela endlini yakhe. ²⁷ Bathatha abekwenzile uMika nompristi wakhe , bafika eLayishi kubantu abanokuthula belondekile , bababulala ngosiko lwenkemba; bashisa umuzi ngomlilo. ²⁸ Kwakungekho owophulayo, ngokuba wawukude neSidoni; babengenandaba nabanye abantu ; wawusesigodini esingaseBeti Rehobe. Bawakha umuzi , bahlala kuwo. ²⁹ Baqamba igama lomuzi ngokuthi uDani ngegama likaDani uyise owazalelwa u-Israyeli; kepha igama lomuzi laliyiLayishi kuqala. ³⁰ Abantwana bakwaDani bazimisela isithombe esibaziweyo ; uJonathani indodana kaGereshomu kaMos e yena namadodana akhe babe ngabapristi besizwe sakwaDani kwaze kwaba ngosuku lokuthunjwa kwezwe. ³¹ Base bemisa isithombe esibaziweyo sikaMika abesenzile sonke isikhathi indlu kaNkulunkulu iseShilo.