1 Samũeli 5

1 Na rĩrĩ, Afilisti maarĩkia gũtaha ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai, makĩrĩruta kũu Ebeni-Ezeri, makĩrĩtwara Ashidodi.

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

2 Magĩcooka magĩtwara ithandũkũ rĩu thĩinĩ wa hekarũ ya ngai yao ĩrĩa yetagwo Dagoni, na makĩrĩiga rĩriganĩtie na Dagoni.

carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.

3 Rĩrĩa andũ a Ashidodi mookĩrire rũciinĩ tene mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ-rĩ, magĩkora Dagoni ĩgũĩte ĩgakoma na nda hau mbere ya ithandũkũ rĩa Jehova! Makĩoya Dagoni makĩmĩcookia handũ hayo.

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 No mookĩra rũciinĩ rũrũ rũngĩ-rĩ, magĩkora Dagoni ĩgũĩte ĩgakoma na nda hau mbere ya ithandũkũ rĩa Jehova! Mũtwe na moko mayo meerĩ nĩcioinĩkĩte, ikagũa hau hingĩro-inĩ ya mũrango wa nyũmba; no mwĩrĩ wayo watigarĩte.

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 Nĩkĩo nginya ũmũthĩ gũtirĩ athĩnjĩri-ngai a Dagoni kana andũ angĩ matoonyaga hekarũ ya Dagoni kũu Ashidodi magereire hingĩro-inĩ ĩyo ya mũrango.

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 Nakuo guoko kwa Jehova gũkĩũmĩra andũ a Ashidodi na kũndũ kũrĩa kwariganĩtie nakuo; akĩmarehere mwanangĩko na akĩmahũũra na mĩrimũ ya mahũha.

Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

7 Na rĩrĩa andũ a Ashidodi moonire ũrĩa gwekĩka, makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ithandũkũ rĩa ngai ya Isiraeli rĩtigũikara na ithuĩ gũkũ gwitũ, nĩgũkorwo guoko gwake nĩgũtũũmĩire mũno hamwe na ngai iitũ Dagoni.”

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 Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo magĩcookanĩrĩria aathani othe a Afilisti, makĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Tũgwĩka atĩa na ithandũkũ rĩĩrĩ rĩa ngai ya Isiraeli?” Nao magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Rekei ithandũkũ rĩĩrĩ rĩa ngai ya Isiraeli rĩthaamĩrio Gathu.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩthaamia ithandũkũ rĩu rĩa Ngai wa Isiraeli.

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 No rĩrĩ, maarĩkia kũrĩthaamĩria kuo, guoko kwa Jehova gũgĩũkĩrĩra itũũra rĩu inene, gũkĩgĩa kĩmako kĩnene. Akĩhũũra andũ a itũũra rĩu inene, arĩa ethĩ na arĩa akũrũ, akĩmarehere mĩrimũ ya mahũha.

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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩtwara ithandũkũ rĩu rĩa Ngai Ekironi. Na rĩrĩa ithandũkũ rĩu rĩatoonyaga Ekironi-rĩ, andũ a Ekironi makĩanĩrĩra na mũgambo makiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmaarehe ithandũkũ rĩa ngai ya Isiraeli gũkũ gwitũ nĩguo matũũrage ithuĩ hamwe na andũ aitũ.”

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 Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo magĩcookanĩrĩria aathani othe a Afilisti makĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Cookiai ithandũkũ rĩĩrĩ rĩa ngai ya Isiraeli rĩehere gũkũ; nĩrĩcookio kũrĩa riumĩte kana rĩtũũrage hamwe na andũ aitũ.” Nĩgũkorwo gĩkuũ nĩkĩaiyũrĩtie itũũra rĩu inene kĩmako; guoko kwa Ngai nĩ kwarĩũmĩire mũno.

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 Nao arĩa mataakuire makĩhũũrwo na mĩrimũ ya mahũha, nakĩo kĩrĩro gĩa itũũra rĩu inene gĩgĩkinya o igũrũ kwa Ngai.

Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.