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