1 Samuel 5
1 Then the Philistines took the ark of God, and they transported it from the Stone of Assistance into Ashdod.
Emva kokuba amaFilistiya esethumbe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, alithatha e-Ebhenezeri alisa e-Ashidodi.
2 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it into the temple of Dagon. And they stationed it beside Dagon.
Aphinda alithwala alisa ethempelini likaDagoni.
3 And when the Ashdodites had risen up at first light on the next day, behold, Dagon was lying prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and they set him again in his place.
Kwathi abantu base-Ashidodi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu okwalandelayo, nango uDagoni, ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo! Bamthatha uDagoni bambeka endaweni yakhe.
4 And again, on the next day, rising up in the morning, they found Dagon lying on his face upon the ground, before the ark of the Lord. But the head of Dagon, and both palms of his hands had been cut off upon the threshold.
Kodwa ngakusasa ekuseni bathi bevuka, nango uDagoni, ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo! Ikhanda lakhe lezandla kwakugumukile kuthe qekele eduze lomnyango; kwakusele umzimba wakhe kuphela.
5 Moreover, only the trunk of Dagon remained in its place. For this reason, the priests of Dagon, and all who enter his temple, do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, even to this day.
Ngalokho-ke kuze kube lamhla abaphristi bakaDagoni labanye nje abangena ethempelini likaDagoni kabanyatheli ekuqaliseni komnyango.
6 Now the hand of the Lord weighed heavily upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them. And he struck Ashdod and its borders at the inner part of the buttocks. And in the villages and fields, in the midst of that region, mice rose up and burst forth. And this caused a great tumult unto death in the city.
Isandla sikaThixo sasinzima phezu kwabantu base-Ashidodi laseduze kwayo; wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwabo yabahlupha langamathumba.
7 Then the men of Ashdod, seeing this kind of plague, said: “The ark of the God of Israel shall not remain with us. For his hand is harsh, over us and over Dagon, our god.”
Kwathi abantu base-Ashidodi bebona okwakusenzakala, bathi, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli akumelanga lihlale lathi lapha, ngoba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu laphezu kukaDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.”
8 And sending, they gathered together all the princes of the Philistines to them, and they said, “What shall we do about the ark of the God of Israel?” And the Gathites responded, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be led around.” And they led the ark of the God of Israel around.
Ngakho babiza bonke ababusi bamaFilistiya bababuza bathi, “Sizakwenzani ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli na?” Baphendula bathi, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli liseni eGathi.” Ngakho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu balisa eGathi.
9 And as they were carrying it around, the hand of the Lord fell upon every single city with an exceedingly great slaughter. And he struck down the men of each and every city, from the small even to the great. And cysts were festering at their buttocks. And the Gathites took counsel, and they made for themselves seat covers from pelts.
Kodwa kwathi sebelihambisile, isandla sikaThixo samelana lalelodolobho, okwenza kwaba lokuthuthumela okukhulu kulo. Wahlupha abantu bedolobho lelo, abatsha labadala, ngokuphihlika kwamathumba.
10 Therefore, they sent the ark of God into Ekron. And when the ark of God had arrived at Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, so that it may kill us and our people!”
Ngakho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lasiwa e-Ekroni. Kwathi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lifika e-Ekroni, abantu base-Ekroni bakhala besithi, “Sebelethe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli kithi lapha ukuzasibulala kanye labantu bakithi.”
11 And so they sent and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and they said: “Release the ark of the God of Israel, and return it to its own place. And let it not kill us, with our people.”
Ngakho babiza bonke ababusi bamaFilistiya, bathi, “Susani ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli; kalibuyele emuva endaweni yalo, hlezi lisibulale thina kanye labantu bakithi.” Ngoba ukufa kwakwenze kwaba lokuthuthumela edolobheni; isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu phezu kwalo.
12 For the fear of death fell upon every single city, and the hand of God was very heavy. Also, the men who did not die were being afflicted in the inner part of the buttocks. And the wailing of each city was ascending to heaven.
Labo abangafanga baphunywa ngamathumba, njalo umkhosi wedolobho waya phezulu ezulwini.
