1 Samũeli 5
1 Na rĩrĩ, Afilisti maarĩkia gũtaha ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai, makĩrĩruta kũu Ebeni-Ezeri, makĩrĩtwara Ashidodi.
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].
2 Magĩcooka magĩtwara ithandũkũ rĩu thĩinĩ wa hekarũ ya ngai yao ĩrĩa yetagwo Dagoni, na makĩrĩiga rĩriganĩtie na Dagoni.
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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].
6 Nakuo guoko kwa Jehova gũkĩũmĩra andũ a Ashidodi na kũndũ kũrĩa kwariganĩtie nakuo; akĩmarehere mwanangĩko na akĩmahũũra na mĩrimũ ya mahũha.
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.
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.”
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!”
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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!”
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.
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!”
12 Nao arĩa mataakuire makĩhũũrwo na mĩrimũ ya mahũha, nakĩo kĩrĩro gĩa itũũra rĩu inene gĩgĩkinya o igũrũ kwa Ngai.
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].
