1 Samuel 5
1 Kane jo-Filistia osekawo Sandug Muma mar Nyasaye ne gigole Ebeneza mi gitere Ashdod.
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 Eka negitingʼo Sandug Muma mar Nyasaye mi gitero ei hekalu mar Dagon kendo negikete bath Dagon.
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
3 Kane jo-Ashdod ochiewo kinyne gokinyi mangʼich negiyudo ka Dagon, nogore piny auma e nyim Sandug Muma mar Jehova Nyasaye! Negichungo Dagon mi gidwoke kare.
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 To chiengʼ mar ariyo gokinyi kane gichiewo, negiyudo Dagon kanyo kosegore piny auma e nyim Sandug Muma mar Jehova Nyasaye. Wiye gi lwetene ne osetur kendo ne ni e ndiri, dende kende ema ne odongʼ.
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 Mano ema omiyo nyaka chil kawuono jodolo mag Dagon kata mana ngʼama donjo e hekalu mar Dagon e Ashdod ok nyon ndiri.
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 Lwet Jehova Nyasaye nosando jo-Ashdod kod kuonde machiegni kodgi, noketo luoro kuomgi, bende nogoyogi gi tuo mar buche.
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 Kane jo-Ashdod oneno gima ne timore, negiwacho niya, “Sandug Muma mar Nyasach jo-Israel kik bed kodwa ka, nikech lwete osesandowa kaachiel gi Dagon ma nyasachwa.”
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 Omiyo negiluongo ruodhi duto mag jo-Filistia ma gipenjogi niya, “Watim angʼo gi Sandug Muma mar Nyasach jo-Israel?” Mine gidwoko niya, “Kawuru Sandug Muma mar Nyasach jo-Israel uter Gath.” Kamano negigolo Sandug Muma mar Nyasach jo-Israel.
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 Bangʼ kane gisegole, Jehova Nyasaye nokelo chandruok ne dala maduongʼno momiyo luoro malich omakogi. Ne ogoyo jomatindo gi jomadongo mar dala maduongʼno gi tuo buche.
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 Omiyo ne gitero Sandug Muma mar Nyasaye Ekron. Kane Sandug Muma mar Nyasaye nidonjogo Ekron, jo-Ekron noywak kawacho niya, “Gisekelo Sandug Muma mar Nyasach jo-Israel kuomwa mondo onegwa kaachiel gi jowa.”
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 Omiyo negiluongo ruodhi duto mag jo-Filistia mi giwachonegi niya, “Goluru Sandug Muma mar Nyasach jo-Israel; dwokeuru kare owuon, ka ok kamano to obiro negowa kaachiel gi jowa.” Nikech tho nosepongʼo dala maduongʼ gi kihondko; lwet Nyasaye nosandogi ahinya.
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 Joma ne ok otho to tuo buche nomako kendo ywak mar dala maduongʼno nochopo nyaka e polo.
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].
