1 Samuel 5
1 Philisti loh a loh Pathen thingkawng te Ebenezer lamloh Ashdod la a khuen uh.
After the army of the Philistia people-group captured God’s sacred chest in Ebenezer [town], they took it to Ashdod [which is one of their biggest cities].
2 Te dongah Philisti loh a khuen Pathen thingkawng te Dagon im la a det uh tih Dagon taengah a khueh uh.
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
3 A vuen ah Ashodi rhoek te a thoh uh vaengah Dagon tah BOEIPA thingkawng hmai ah diklai la a hmai longah tarha ana cungku. Te dongah Dagon te a loh uh tih amah hmuen la koep a khueh uh.
But early the next morning, when the people of Ashdod [went to see it, they saw that] the statue had fallen on its face in front of Yahweh’s sacred chest! So they set the statue up in its place again.
4 A vuen mincang kah a thoh uh vaengah khaw Dagon te BOEIPA thingkawng hmai ah diklai la a hmai longah tarha cungku bal. Dagon kah a lu neh a kut kutpha rhoi khaw thohkong dongah a khuek tih Dagon bueng te sueng.
But the following morning, [they saw that] it had fallen down in front of the sacred chest again. But this time, the statue’s head and hands had broken off, and were lying in the doorway. Only its body remained intact/unbroken.
5 Te dongah Dagon khosoih long khaw, Dagon im la aka kun boeih long khaw ti hnin duela Ashdod kah Dagon thohkong te cawt uh pawh.
That is the reason that since that time, the priests of Dagon and everyone else who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the doorsill [where the hands and head of Dagon fell].
6 BOEIPA kut loh Ashodi te a nan tih a pong sak. Ashdod neh a khorhi khui te tungueh nen khaw, rhilcolh nen khaw a ngawn.
Then Yahweh [SYN] powerfully caused the people of Ashdod and the people who lived in nearby villages to have (a very great plague/serious illness) of tumors.
7 Ashdod hlang rhoek loh a hmuh uh vaengah, “Mamih neh mamih kah pathen Dagon khaw a kut neh mat a nan coeng dongah Israel Pathen kah thingkawng he mamih taengah om voel boel saeh,” a ti uh.
The men of Ashdod realized why this was happening, and they cried out, “The god of the Israeli people is punishing us and is also punishing our god Dagon. So we cannot allow the sacred chest of the god of the Israelis to remain here!”
8 Te dongah Philisti boei rhoek te boeih a tah uh tih a tingtun uh vaengah, “Israel Pathen kah thingkawng te metlam n'saii eh?” a ti uh. Tedae, “Israel Pathen kah thingkawng te Gath la mael saeh,” a ti na uh dongah Israel Pathen kah thingkawng te a mael sak uh.
They summoned the five kings of the Philistia people-group, and asked them, “What should we do with the sacred chest of the god of the Israelis?” The kings replied, “Take the sacred chest to Gath [city].” So they moved it to Gath.
9 Thingkawng a mael hnukah khaw khopuei te BOEIPA kut loh a om thil pueng tih soekloeknah a len la muep om. Khopuei kah hlang te tanoe kangham la a ngawn tih amih pum dongah tungueh rhilcolh la a puek pa uh.
But after they took it to Gath, Yahweh powerfully struck the people of that city also, with the result that many men, including young men and old men, got tumors on their skin. Then the people became very afraid.
10 Te dongah Pathen kah thingkawng te Ekron la a thak uh. Tedae Pathen kah thingkawng te Ekron la a pawk van neh Ekroni rhoek pang uh tih, “Mamih neh mah kah pilnam aka ngawn hamla Israel Pathen kah thingkawng tah mamih taengla ham mael coeng,” a ti uh.
So they took the sacred chest to Ekron [city]. But when the men carried the sacred chest into Ekron, the people there cried out, “Why are you bringing the sacred chest of the God of the Israelis into our city [RHQ]? [By doing that] you will cause us and the rest of our people to die!”
11 Te dongah Philisti boei rhoek te boeih a tah uh tih a tingtun uh vaengah, “Israel Pathen kah thingkawng te thak uh lamtah amah hmuen la mael laeh saeh. Te daengah ni mamih neh mah pilnam he a duek sak pawt eh. Pathen kut loh mat a nan tih khopuei tom ah dueknah dongkah soekloeknah la om coeng,” a ti uh.
The people were terrified/in panic because [they knew that] God was starting to punish them severely. So they summoned the [five] kings of the Philistia people-group again, and [pleaded with them], saying, “Take this sacred chest of the god of the Israelis back to its own place! If you do not do that quickly, we will all die!”
12 Hlang te tungueh rhilcolh neh a ngawn tih duek uh ngawn pawt dae khopuei kah a pang rhoe mah vaan la luei.
Some of the people in Ekron had already died, and the rest of the people were suffering because of tumors on their skin. So they all cried out to their gods [MTY] [to help them].
