1 Samuel 5
1 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].
Mushure mokunge vaFiristia vapamba areka yaMwari, vakaitora kubva kuEbhenezeri vakaenda nayo kuAshidhodhi.
2 They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
Ipapo vakatakura areka vakapinda nayo mutemberi yaDhagoni vakaiisa parutivi rwaDhagoni.
3 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.
Vanhu veAshidhodhi pavakamuka mangwanani-ngwanani zuva raitevera, wanei hoyo Dhagoni akawira pasi nechiso pamberi peareka yaJehovha! Vakatora Dhagoni vakamudzosera panzvimbo yake.
4 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.
Asi mangwanani aitevera pavakamuka wanei hoyo Dhagoni akawira pasi nechiso pamberi peareka yaJehovha! Musoro wake namaoko zvakanga zvadimbuka zvisisipo uye zviri pasi pachikumbaridzo chomukova, muviri wake bedzi ndiwo wakanga wangosara.
5 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].
Ndokusaka kusvika nanhasi kusina vaprista vaDhagoni kana vamwewo zvavo vanopinda mutemberi yaDhagoni paAshidhodhi vanotsika pachikumbaridzo chomukova.
6 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.
Ruoko rwaMwari rwakatambudza zvikuru vanhu veAshidhodhi nenzvimbo dzakaikomberedza; akauyisa kuparadzwa pamusoro pavo uye akavarova namamota.
7 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!”
Vanhu veAshidhodhi pavakaona zvakanga zvichiitika vakati, “Areka yaMwari weIsraeri haifaniri kugara pano nesu nokuti ruoko rwake rwatitambudza zvikuru isu naDhagoni mwari wedu.”
8 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.
Saka vakadana pamwe chete vatongi vose vavaFiristia vakavabvunza vachiti, “Toitei neareka yaMwari weIsraeri?” Vakapindura vachiti, “Itai kuti areka yaMwari weIsraeri iendeswe kuGati.” Saka vakabvisa areka yaMwari weIsraeri.
9 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.
Asi mushure mokunge vaibvisa, ruoko rwaMwari rwakarwisana neguta iroro, uye akarivhundutsa nokuvhundutsa kukuru. Akarova vanhu veguta iroro, vakuru navadiki, namamota.
10 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!”
Saka vakaendesa areka yaMwari kuEkironi. Areka yaMwari payakanga yava kupinda muEkironi, vanhu veEkironi vakadanidzira, vachiti, “Vauyisa areka yaMwari weIsraeri kuti vatiuraye isu navanhu vedu.”
11 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!”
Saka vakadana pamwe chete vatongi vose vavaFiristia vakati, “Dzoserai areka yaMwari weIsraeri kwakare, regai idzokere kunzvimbo kwayo, nokuti ichatiuraya isu navanhu vedu.” Nokuti rufu rwakanga rwazadza guta nokuvhunduka; ruoko rwaMwari rwakanga rwaritambudza zvikuru.
12 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].
Avo vasina kufa vakarohwa namamota uye kuchema kweguta kwakakwira kudenga.
