1 Samyèl 5
1 Alò, Filisten yo te pran lach Bondye a e yo te mennen li soti Ében-Ézer pou rive Asdod.
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 Filisten yo te pran lach Bondye a, yo te mennen li lakay Dagon e yo te poze li akote Dagon.
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
3 Lè Asdodyen yo te leve granmmaten an, veye byen, Dagon te tonbe atè sou figi li devan lach SENYÈ a. Konsa, yo pran Dagon e mete li nan plas li ankò.
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 Men lè yo te leve bonè granmmaten, vwala, Dagon te tonbe atè sou figi li devan lach SENYÈ a. Konsa, tèt Dagon an avèk toude pla men l te koupe atè sou papòt la; se sèl twòn kò Dagon an ki te rete sou li.
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 Akoz sa, ni prèt Dagon yo ni tout moun ki antre lakay Dagon nan Asdod jis rive jodi a, pa janm foule pye yo nan papòt Dagon an.
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 Alò men SENYÈ a te lou sou Asdodyen yo. Li te fè yo vin dezole e te frape yo avèk gwo boul bouton, ni Asdod, ni teritwa li yo.
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 Lè Mesye Asdod yo te wè ke sa te konsa, yo te di: “Fòk lach Bondye Israël la pa rete pami nou. Paske men Li lou sou nou ak sou Dagon, dye pa nou an.”
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 Konsa, yo te voye ranmase tout prens Filisten yo kote yo, e te di: “Kisa nou dwe fè avèk lach Bondye Israël la?” Yo te reponn: “Kite lach Bondye Israël la pote rive ozanviwon Gath.” Konsa, yo te pote lach Bondye Israël la rive.
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 Lè yo te fin pote li rive, men SENYÈ a te vin kont vil la avèk gwo boulvèsman. Li te frape Mesye lavil yo, ni jenn, ni granmoun jiskaske gwo boul bouton yo te vin pete sou yo.
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 Konsa yo te voye lach Bondye a nan Ékron. Epi pandan lach Bondye a te rive nan Ékron, Ekwonyen yo te kriye fò. Yo te di: “Yo vin pote Bondye Israël la bò kote nou pou touye nou avèk pèp nou an.”
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 Pou sa, yo te voye rasanble tout prens a Filisten yo, e te di: “Voye lach Bondye Israël la ale. Kite li retounen nan pwòp plas li, pou li pa touye nou avèk pèp nou an.” Paske te genyen yon gwo boulvèsman ki t ap mennen lanmò toupatou nan vil la. Men SENYÈ a te lou kote sa a.
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 Epi Mesye ki pa t mouri yo te frape avèk gwo boul bouton yo, e gwo kri lavil la te monte jis rive nan syèl la.
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].
