< Samuel 1 5 >

1 Filistitɔwo tsɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la tso aʋagbe la dzi le Ebenezer
Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 yi woƒe mawu Dagon, ƒe gbedoxɔ me le Asdod eye wodae ɖe Dagon gbɔ.
The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by 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
When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.
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.
When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.
5 Le esia ta, va se ɖe egbe la, Dagon nunɔlawo kple esubɔlawo megaɖoa afɔ Dagon ƒe kpui nu le Asdod o.
Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod 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.
But the LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumours, even Ashdod and its borders.
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.”
When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is severe on us and on 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.
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there.
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.
It was so, that after they had carried it there, the LORD’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumours broke out on them.
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 God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, 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.
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there.
12 Ame siwo meku haɖe o la nɔ dɔ lém kutɔkutɔe, ale du la ƒe avifafa de dzi.
The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumours; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

< Samuel 1 5 >