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1 Ngaloo mihla kube kungekho kumkani kwaSirayeli. Ngaloo mihla isizwe sakwaDan besizifunela ilifa lendawo yokuhlala; ngokuba kwada kwanguloo mhla, sibe sona singabelwanga lifa ngeqashiso, phakathi kwesizwe sakwaSirayeli.

2 Oonyana bakaDan besusa kumlibo wakowabo amadoda amahlanu, evela kwinani lawo lonke, amadoda anobukroti aseTsora nase-Eshtawoli, ukuba alihlole ilizwe, aligocagoce. Bathi kuwo, Hambani niligocagoce ilizwe. Afika kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim endlwini kaMika, alala khona.

3 Akubona ukuba angasendlwini kaMika, alifanisa ilizwi lendodana engumLevi, aphambukela khona, athi kuye, Uziswe ngubani na apha? Wenza ntoni na kule ndawo? Ungantoni na apha?

4 Yathi kuwo, Wenjenje, wenjenje uMika kum; wandiqesha, ndaba ngumbinge leli kuye.

5 Athi kuyo, Khawubuze kuThixo, sazi ukuba iya kuba nempumelelo na indlela yethu esihambela yona.

6 Wathi umbingeleli kuwo, Ha mbani ninoxolo, iphambi koYehova indlela yenu eniya kuhamba ngayo.

7 Ahamba ke amadoda amahlanu afika eLayishe; ababona abantu abaphakathi kwayo, behleli bonwabile ngokwesiko lamaTsidon, bezolile, bonwabile; kungekho uwona nganto kubaphathi belo zwe; babekude kumaTsidon, bengatheni nabani.

8 Afika kubazalwana bawo eTsora nase-Eshtawoli. Bathi abazalwana bawo kuwo, Nitheni na?

9 Athi, Sukani, sinyuke siye kubo; ngokuba silibonile ilizwe; nalo lilihle kunene, ke nithe quthu. Musani ukunqena ukuhamba, niye kulihlutha ilizwe elo.

10 Xa nithe nafika, nofika kubantu abonwabileyo, kwilizwe eliphangaleleyo ngamacala omabini; ngokuba uThixo ulinikele ezandleni zenu, indawo apho kungasweleke nanye into esehlabathini.

11 Kwanduluka ke kumlibo wakwaDan, eTsora nase-Eshtawoli, amadoda angamakhulu omathandathu, exhobe iimpahla zemfazwe.

12 Enyuka ke, amisa eKiriyati-yeharim yakwaYuda; ngenxa yoko bathi loo ndawo yiMahane yakwaDan unanamhla. Nantso isemva kweKiriyati-yeharim.

13 Agqitha aya kweleentaba lakwaEfrayim, afika endlwini kaMika.

14 Ke kaloku aphendula amadoda amahlanu, abeze kulihlola ilizwe laseLayishe, athi kubazalwana bawo, Niyazi na ukuba kwezi zindlu kukho iefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo, nomtyhido? Ke ngoko kuqondeni eniza kukwenza.

15 Aphambukela khona, angena endlwini yendodana engumLevi, endlwini kaMika, ayibuza ukuphila kwayo.

16 Athi amadoda angamakhulu amathandathu axhobe iimpahla zemfazwe, akoonyana bakwaDan, ema ekungeneni kwesango.

17 Anyuka la madoda mahlanu abeye kulihlola ilizwe, aya khona, awuthabatha umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, ne-efodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomtyhido; waye umbingeleli lowo emi ekungeneni kwesango namadoda angamakhulu amathandathu axhobe iimpahla zemfazwe.

18 Akuba lawa engene endlwini kaMika, ewuthabathile umfanekiso oqingqiweyo, iefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomtyhido, uthe umbingeleli kuwo, Nenzani?

19 Athi kuye, Yithi tu, beka isandla sakho emlonyeni wakho, uhambe nathi, ube ngubawo nombingeleli kuthi. Kulungile na ukuba ube ngumbingeleli wendlu yamntu mnye, kunokuba ube ngumbingeleli wesizwe nomzalwana kwaSirayeli?

20 Yachwayitha intliziyo yombingeleli, wayithabatha iefodi, nemilonde-khaya, nomfanekiso oqingqiweyo, weza phakathi kwabantu abo.

21 Ajika ke, ahamba, azibeka iintsapho neemfuyo nezinto ezizukileyo phambi kwawo.

22 Akuba kude nendlu kaMika wona, athi amadoda asezindlwini ezingakwekaMika indlu ahlabelana umkhosi, eza afumanana noonyana bakaDan.

23 Amemeza koonyana bakaDan; baguquka ngobuso, bathi kuMika, Ukhathazwa yini na, uhlaba umkhosi nje?

24 Wathi yena, Oothixo bam endabenzayo nibathabathile, nemka naye nombingeleli wam; ndisenantoni na? Nitsho ngani na ke ukuthi kum, Ukhathazwa yini na?

25 Bathi kuye oonyana bakaDan, Musa ukulivakalisa ilizwi lakho kuthi, hleze akugqibele amadoda amphefumlo ulugcalagcala, asuse umphefumlo wakho, nomphefumlo wendlu yakho.

26 Bahamba ke ngendlela yabo oonyana bakaDan. Wabona uMika ukuba bomelele kunaye, wajika wabuyela endlwini yakhe.

27 Bayithabatha ke bona into abeyenzile uMika, nombingeleli lowo abenaye; bafika eLayishe kubantu abazolileyo, abonwabileyo, bababulala ngohlangothi lwekrele, bawutshisa umzi ngomlilo.

28 Bekungekho mhlanguli, ngokuba bekude nowaseTsidon, bengatheni nabani, besentilini esingise eBhete-rehobhi. Bakha umzi, bahlala khona.

29 Bathi igama laloo mzi ngowakwaDan, ngegama likaDan uyise, owazalelwa uSirayeli; kodwa igama laloo mzi libe liyiLayishe ngenxa engaphambili.

30 Baza oonyana bakaDan bazimisela umfanekiso oqingqiweyo lowo; uYonatan unyana kaGershom, unyana kaManase, yena noonyana bakhe baba ngababingeleli esizweni sakwaDan, kwada kwayimini yokuthinjwa kwelizwe.

31 Bazimisela ke umfanekiso oqingqiweyo kaMika abewenzile, yonke imihla ebiseseShilo indlu kaThixo.