The Covenant Box among the Philistines
1 After the Philistines captured the Covenant Box, they carried it from Ebenezer to their city of Ashdod, 2 took it into the temple of their god Dagon, and set it up beside his statue. 3 Early the next morning the people of Ashdod saw that the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground in front of the Lord's Covenant Box. So they lifted it up and put it back in its place. 4 Early the following morning they saw that the statue had again fallen down in front of the Covenant Box. This time its head and both its arms were broken off and were lying in the doorway; only the body was left. ( 5 That is why even today the priests of Dagon and all his worshipers in Ashdod step over that place and do not walk on it.)
6 The Lord punished the people of Ashdod severely and terrified them. He punished them and the people in the surrounding territory by causing them to have tumors. 7 When they saw what was happening, they said, “The God of Israel is punishing us and our god Dagon. We can't let the Covenant Box stay here any longer.” 8 So they sent messengers and called together all five of the Philistine kings and asked them, “What shall we do with the Covenant Box of the God of Israel?”
“Take it over to Gath,” they answered; so they took it to Gath, another Philistine city. 9 But after it arrived there, the Lord punished that city too and caused a great panic. He punished them with tumors which developed in all the people of the city, young and old alike. 10 So they sent the Covenant Box to Ekron, another Philistine city; but when it arrived there, the people cried out, “They have brought the Covenant Box of the God of Israel here, in order to kill us all!” 11 So again they sent for all the Philistine kings and said, “Send the Covenant Box of Israel back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our families.” There was panic throughout the city because God was punishing them so severely. 12 Even those who did not die developed tumors and the people cried out to their gods for help.
Bhokisi le Tjidumano mu Bafilisitiya
1 Kwakati Bafilisitiya batapa Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu, bakalitola mu Ebheneza bakanoliyisa ku Ashidodi. 2 Ndizo Bafilisitiya bakatola Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu bakanolilonga mu ng'umba ya Dagoni bakalibiga pa hwunde na Dagoni 3 Kwakati tjimuka mangwanana bathu be Ashidodi bemuka, bakawana Dagoni iwoyo, akawa nge buso mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe. Ngono bakatola Dagoni bakambgwiliza pa bugalo gugwe. 4 Koga bakati bemuka tjimuka bakawana Dagoni iwoyo, akawa nge buso mbeli kwe Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe, ngono nsholo wa Dagoni ne maboko awe wose zwakathubugwa zwili pa tjirepuli tje nkoba we ng'umba, kwasala mbili uwe koga. 5 Ndizo wali bapirisiti ba Dagoni na bose banongina mu ng'umba ya Dagoni basingatshambe tjirepuli tja Dagoni ku Ashidodi na nasi.
6 Shamu ya Yahwe yakalemela bathu be Ashidodi ne kupoteleka, kakale bakabatjisa ne kubalonga bugwele gwe malonda. 7 Kwakati bathu be Ashidodi bebona tjinoshingikala, bakati, “Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu we Iziraela alizofanila gala naswi, ngobe watiloba shamu inogwadza ne ndzimu wedu Dagoni.” 8 Ndizo bakadana boshe bose be Bafilisitiya, bakababhuzwa beti, “Apa tingathamani nge Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu we Iziraela kene?”
Ngono bakashandula beti, “Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu we Iziraela ngalifulusigwe ku Gati.” Ndizo bakafulusila Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu we Iziraela ku Gati. 9 Koga bakati baliyisa ku Gati, Yahwe bakaloba nzi iwoyo nge shamu, bakazhisa kutja kukulu kwazo, bakaloba bathu be nzi iwoyo, bose bakulu ne batjetjana bakabhudiwa nge malonda. 10 Ndizo bakatumila Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu ku Ekironi. Kwakati Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu liswika mu Ekironi, bathu be Ekironi bakalila beti, “Bazhisa Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu ku tili kutibulaya ne bakanyi kwedu.” 11 Ndizo bakadana batungamili bose be Bafilisitiya bakabadwa bakati, “Bgwilizani Bhokisi le Tjidumano tje Ndzimu we Iziraela, ngalibgwilile kanyi kwalo, lisitongo dwa litibulaya ne bakanyi kwedu.” Bakajalo ngobe nzi wose wakabe utetema nge lufu. Shamu ye Ndzimu yakabalemela kwazo ipapo. 12 Bakasala pafa bakabhudiwa nge malonda, ngono bakalilila midzimu yabo.