< Samuel 1 5 >

1 Filistitɔwo tsɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la tso aʋagbe la dzi le Ebenezer
Then the Philistines took the ark of God, and they transported it from the Stone of Assistance into Ashdod.
2 yi woƒe mawu Dagon, ƒe gbedoxɔ me le Asdod eye wodae ɖe Dagon gbɔ.
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it into the temple of Dagon. And they stationed it beside Dagon.
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
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.
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.
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.
5 Le esia ta, va se ɖe egbe la, Dagon nunɔlawo kple esubɔlawo megaɖoa afɔ Dagon ƒe kpui nu le Asdod o.
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.
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 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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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!”
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.
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.”
12 Ame siwo meku haɖe o la nɔ dɔ lém kutɔkutɔe, ale du la ƒe avifafa de dzi.
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.

< Samuel 1 5 >