< Samuel 1 5 >
1 Filistitɔwo tsɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la tso aʋagbe la dzi le Ebenezer
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
2 yi woƒe mawu Dagon, ƒe gbedoxɔ me le Asdod eye wodae ɖe Dagon gbɔ.
carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
3 Esi ame aɖewo yi be yewoakpɔe ɖa le ŋdi la, wokpɔ be Dagon dze anyi eye wòtsyɔ mo anyi ɖe Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka la ŋkume! Wofɔe da ɖe eteƒe
When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.
4 ke esi ŋu gake la, egadzɔ nenema tututu: legba la gadze anyi ɖe Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka la ŋgɔ. Ke azɔ ya la, eƒe asiwo kple eƒe ta lã ɖa le eŋu eye wònɔ mɔnu. Ale legba la tsi anyi kponogo.
But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.
5 Le esia ta, va se ɖe egbe la, Dagon nunɔlawo kple esubɔlawo megaɖoa afɔ Dagon ƒe kpui nu le Asdod o.
That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.
6 Yehowa ƒe asi sẽ ɖe Asdodtɔwo kple kɔƒe siwo ƒo xlã wo la me tɔwo dzi, ehe gbegblẽ va wo dzii eye wòna ƒoƒoe vɔ̃ te wo.
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
7 Esi ameawo dze si nu si de asi dzɔdzɔ ɖe wo dzi la, wodo ɣli be, “Míagate ŋu ana Israel ƒe Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la naganɔ afi sia o, elabena eƒe asi sẽ ɖe míawo ŋutɔ kple míaƒe mawu Dagon siaa dzi.”
And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”
8 Ale woyɔ takpekpe na Filistitɔwo ƒe dziɖulawo katã, eye wobia wo be, “Nu ka míawɔ kple Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe nubablaɖaka?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Mitsɔ Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe nubablaɖaka yi ɖada ɖe Gat.” Ale woɖe Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe nubablaɖaka la ɖa.
So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
9 Ke esi wotsɔe yi afi mae ko la Yehowa ƒe asi va Gat du la dzi, eye ŋɔdzi kple dzodzonyanya lé ameawo. Eƒo dua me nɔlawo, ɖeviawo kple tsitsiawo siaa kple ƒoƒoe.
But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.
10 Ale wotsɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la ɖo ta Ekron. Ke esi Ekrontɔwo kpɔe wògbɔna wo gbɔ ko la, wodo ɣli be, “Wotsɔ Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe nubablaɖaka la gbɔna afi sia be wòawu mí kple míaƒe amewo.”
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!”
11 Ale wogayɔ du atɔ̃awo kplɔlawo ƒo ƒui eye woɖe kuku na wo be woaɖo Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la ɖe eƒe dukɔ Israel ale be dua me tɔwo katã mava ku o. Dɔ la de asi amewo léle me ale vɔvɔ̃ ɖo ame sia ame le dua me.
Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.
12 Ame siwo meku haɖe o la nɔ dɔ lém kutɔkutɔe, ale du la ƒe avifafa de dzi.
Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.