1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 ¶ And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. 8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither . 9 And it was so , that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
10 ¶ Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. 11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
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.