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1 培肋舍特人劫走了天主的約櫃,從厄本厄則爾運到阿市多得,
Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 把天主的約櫃抬到達貢廟內,放在達貢近旁。
The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.
3 第二天清早,阿市多得人起來,見達貢傾倒了,在上主的約櫃面前,俯伏在地;他們把達貢豎起安置在原處。
When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.
4 但第二天清早人們起來,見達貢又傾倒了,仍在上主的約櫃面前,俯伏在地,達貢的頭和雙手都斷在門檻上,只留下了他的魚身。──
When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.
5 因此,達貢的司祭和進達貢廟的人,都不敢踏阿市多得的廟的門檻,直到今天。
Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 上主的手重重地壓制了阿市多得人,威嚇他們,使阿市多得和附近的人都生了毒瘡。
But the LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumours, even Ashdod and its borders.
7 阿市多得人一見這樣,就說:「別讓以色列天主的約櫃留在我們這裏,因他的手重重地壓制了我們的神達貢。」
When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.”
8 遂打發人召集了培肋舍特人所有的酋長來到他們那裏,向他們說:「對以色列天主的約櫃我們該怎麼辦﹖」他們就回答說:「把以色列天主的約櫃送到加特去! 」他們遂把以色列天主的約櫃送到加特去了。
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there.
9 他們把約櫃送去以後,上主的手又壓制那座城,使他們發生了很大的恐慌,因為上主打擊了城中的人,無論老幼,都患了毒瘡。
It was so, that after they had carried it there, the LORD’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumours broke out on them.
10 於是加特人又把天主的約櫃送到厄刻龍;天主的約櫃一到了厄刻龍,厄刻龍人就喊說:「人把以色列天主的約櫃送到我們這裏,是為殺害我們和我們的百姓! 」
So they sent God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, to kill us and our people.”
11 遂立刻派人召集培肋舍特所有的酋長來,向他們說,「你們把以色列天主的約櫃送走,送回原處,免得殺害我們和我們的百姓。」因為全城的人死的太多了,天主的手重重地壓制了那地方。
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there.
12 凡沒有死的人,都患了毒瘡,因此城中哀號之聲,上達於天。
The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumours; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

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