Vatongi 18

¹Zvino namazuva iwayo kwakanga kusina mambo pakati pavaIsiraeri; namazuva iwayo vaDhani vakazvitsvakira nhaka yokugaramo, nokuti kusvikira panguva iyo vakanga vachigere kupiwa nhaka pakati pamarudzi avaIsiraeri.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.

²Zvino pakati pavo vose vana vaDhani vakatuma varume vashanu veimba yavo, varume voumhare, vakabva Zora neEshitaori, kuzoshora nyika, nokuitarisisa; vakati kwavari, Endai, mundotarisisa nyika; ivo vakasvika kunyika yamakomo yaEfuremu, kuimba yaMika, vakavatapo.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.

³Zvino vakati vari paimba yaMika, vakaziva inzwi rejaya muRevhi; vakatsaukirako, vakati kwaari, Ndianiko wakakusvitsa pano? Unobatei pano? Unotsvakei pano?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?

⁴Iye akati kwavari, Mika wakandiitira zvokuti nezvokuti, akandiripira, ndikava mupirisiti wake.And he said unto them, Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am his priest.

⁵Vakati kwaari, Zvino chitibvunzira hako Mwari, tizive kana tichafamba zvakanaka panzira yedu yatinofamba nayo.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.

⁶mupirisiti akati kwavari, Endai norugare, nzira yenyu yamunofamba nayo inofadza Jehovha.And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.

⁷Zvino varume vashanu vakaenda, vakasvika Raishi, vakaona vanhu vakanga varimo, kuti vagere pasine njodzi nomutoo wavaZidhoni, vakagarika, vane rugare; kwakanga kusina munhu waiva nesimba rokuraira, waimanikidza vanhu pachinhu chipi nechipi; vakanga vagere kure navaZidhoni, vasingafambidzani navamwe vanhu.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.

⁸Vakasvika kuhama dzavo paZora napaEshitaori; hama dzavo dzikati kwavari, Munoreveiko?And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol: and their brethren said unto them, What say ye?

⁹Vakati, Simukai, tikwire, tindorwa navo; nokuti takatarira nyika, tikaona kuti yakanaka kwazvo; munogara seiko musingaiti chinhu? Musava nousimbe hwokupinda, kuti nyika ive yenyu.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.

¹⁰Kana muchienda muchandosvika kuvanhu vagere pasine njodzi, uye nyika ihuru; nokuti Mwari wakakupai iyo mumaoko enyu; apo hapashaikwi chinhu chiri panyika.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.

¹¹Ipapo varume vana mazana matanhatu veimba yavaDhani vakanga vakashonga nhumbi dzokurwa, vakaendako, vachibva Zora neEshitaori.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.

¹²Vakakwira, vakandodzika matende avo paKiriati-jearimi, paJudha; naizvozvo vakatumidza nzvimbo iyo Mahane-dhani kusvikira zuva ranhasi; tarirai, riri shure kweKiriati-jearimi.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.

¹³Vakabvapo, vakapfuura kusvikira panyika yamakomo yaEfuremu, vakasvika paimba yaMika.And they passed thence unto mount Ephraim, and came unto the house of Micah.

¹⁴Zvino varume vashanu, vakanga vandoshora nyika yeRaishi, vakapindura, vakati kuhama dzavo, Munoziva here kuti mudzimba idzi mune efodhi, neterafimi, nomufananidzo wakavezwa nomufananidzo wakaumbwa? Saka zvino fungai zvakanaka zvamunofanira kuita.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.

¹⁵Ipapo vakatsaukirako, vakasvika paimba yejaya muRevhi, iyo imba yaMika, vakabvunza mufaro.And they turned thitherward, and came to the house of the young man the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

¹⁶Zvino varume vana mazana matanhatu vakanga vakashonga nhumbi dzavo dzokurwa nadzo, vaiva vavana vaDhani, vakamira panopindwa napo pasuo,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.

¹⁷varume vashanu vakanga vandoshora nyika vakakwira, vakapindamo, vakatora mufananidzo wakavezwa, neefodhi, neterafimi, nomufananidzo wakaumbwa; mupirisiti akamira panopindwa napo pasuo kuvarume vana mazana matanhatu vakanga vakashonga nhumbi dzokurwa nadzo.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.

¹⁸Zvino ivo vakati vapinda mumba maMika, vakatora mufananidzo wakavezwa, neefodhi, neterafimi, nomufananidzo wakaumbwa, mupirisiti akati kwavari, Munoiteiko?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?

¹⁹Vakati kwaari, Nyarara, pfumbira muromo wako, uende nesu, uve baba vedu nomupirisiti wedu; zviri nani kwauri ndezvipi, kuti uve mupirisiti paimba yomunhu mumwe chete, kana kuva mupirisiti worudzi rwose neimba yose yavaIsiraeri here?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?

²⁰Zvino moyo womupirisiti ukafara, akatora efodhi, neterafimi nomufananidzo wakavezwa, akapinda napakati pavanhu.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.

²¹Vakatsauka, ndokuenda, vakatungamidza vana vaduku, nezvipfuwo nenhumbi.So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.

²²Zvino vakati vafamba runhambo kubva paimba yaMika, varume vakanga vagere padzimba dzaiva pedo neimba yaMika vakaunganidzwa, vakatevera vaDhani, vakavabata.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.

²³Vakadanidzira kuvana vaDhani. Ivo vakacheuka, vakati kuna Mika, Unotsvakeiko, zvawauya neboka rakadai?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?

²⁴Iye akati, Manditorera vamwari vangu vandakanga ndaita, nomupirisiti wangu, mukaenda navo, zvino ini ndasarirwa neiko? Mungataura sei kwandiri, muchiti, `Unotsvakeiko?'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?

²⁵Vana vaDhani vakati kwaari, inzwi rako ngarirege kunzwika pakati pedu, kuti varume vane shungu varege kukuwira, ukarashikirwa noupenyu hwako pamwechete noupenyu hwavamwe veimba yako.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.

²⁶Ipapo vana vaDhani vakaenda havo; zvino Mika wakati achiona kuti simba ravo rinokunda rake, akadzokera kumba kwake.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.

²⁷Ivo vakatora zvakanga zvakaitwa naMika, nomupirisiti waakanga anaye, vakasvika Raishi, kuvanhu vakanga vakagarika, vagere pasine njodzi, vakavauraya neminondo inopinza, vakapisa guta ravo nomoto.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.

²⁸Vakashaiwa unovarwira, nokuti vakanga vari kure neZidhoni; vakanga vasingafambidzani navamwe vanhu; guta rakanga riri mumupata uri paBheti-rehobhi. Vakavaka guta, vakagaramo.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.

²⁹Vakatumidza guta zita rinonzi Dhani, nezita rababa vavo Dhani, wakanga akaberekerwa Isiraeri; asi zita reguta raiva Raishi pakutanga.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.

³⁰Vana vaDhani vakazvimisira mufananidzo uyo wakavezwa; Jonatani, mwanakomana waGerishomi, mwanakomana waMozisi, iye navana vake vakava vapirisiti vorudzi rwavaDhani, kusvikira pazuva rokutapwa kwavanhu venyika iyo.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.

³¹Vakazvimisira mufananidzo wakavezwa naMika, waakanga aita, ukavapo nguva yose yokugara kweimba yaMwari paShiro.And they set them up Micah’s graven image, which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.