1 Samuel 5
1 Mgbe ndị Filistia buuru igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke, ha si Ebeneza buru ya buga Ashdọd.
After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 Ha butere igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke, buba ya nʼime ụlọ Dagọn, dọba ya nʼakụkụ Dagọn.
They brought the Ark of God into the Temple of Dagon and placed it next to Dagon.
3 Mgbe ndị Ashdọd tetara nʼisi ụtụtụ echi ya, ma lee, Dagọn adaala, kpuo ihu ya nʼala nʼihu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị. Ha bulikwara Dagọn elu doghachi ya nʼọnọdụ ya.
When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, they saw Dagon had fallen on his face in front of the Ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back up.
4 Ma nʼụtụtụ echi ya, Dagọn adakwala kpuo ihu nʼala nʼihu igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị. Isi ya na aka ya abụọ dakapụrụ, tọgbọrọ na mbata ọnụ ụzọ, Ọ bụkwa naanị ogwe ahụ ya fọdụrụ.
When they got up early the next morning, they saw Dagon had fallen on his face in front of the Ark of the Lord, with his head and hands broken off lying on the doorstep. Only his body remained intact.
5 Ọ bụ nke a mere, site mgbe ahụ ruo taa, ndị nchụaja Dagọn na ndị niile na-abata nʼụlọ Dagọn, adịghị azọ ụkwụ ha nʼọnụ ụzọ mbata ụlọ Dagọn dị nʼAshdọd.
(That's why the priests of Dagon, and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod, don't tread on the doorstep, even up to now.)
6 Aka Onyenwe anyị malitere ịdị arọ nʼahụ ndị Ashdọd, ha na obodo ndị ọzọ gbara ya gburugburu, o ji etuto dị iche iche menye ha egwu ma bibiekwa ha nʼAshdọd nʼoke ala ya niile.
The Lord punished the people of Ashdod and its surrounding area, devastating them and plaguing them with swellings.
7 Mgbe ndị Ashdọd hụrụ ihe na-eme, ha sịrị, “Anyị achọghị ka igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke nke Izrel dịrị nʼetiti anyị, nʼihi na aka ya dị ike nʼahụ anyị, otu aka ahụkwa na chi anyị Dagọn.”
When the people of Ashdod saw what was going on, they said, “We can't let the Ark of the God of Israel remain here with us, because he is punishing us and Dagon our god.”
8 Ya mere, ha ziri ozi kpọkọta ndịisi ndị Filistia niile, jụọ ha sị, “Gịnị ka anyị ga-eme igbe chi ndị Izrel?” Ha zara, “Ka e buru igbe chi ndị Izrel buga ya nʼobodo Gat.” Ya mere ha buuru igbe Chineke nke Izrel buga Gat.
So they sent for all the Philistine rulers and asked them, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” “Take the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath,” they replied. So they moved it to Gath.
9 Ma mgbe ha bubatara ya na Gat, akaOnyenwe anyị malitere imegide obodo ahụ. O tinyere ndị obodo ahụ nʼọnọdụ oke egwu. O tiri ndị bi nʼobodo ahụ ihe otiti, ma nwantakịrị ma dimkpa, etuto dị iche iche toro ha nʼahụ.
But once they'd moved the Ark to Gath, the Lord also took action against that town, throwing it into great confusion and attacking the people of the town, young and old, with a plague of swellings.
10 Ya mere, ha zilara igbe ahụ Ekrọn. Ma mgbe igbe ahụ na-abata Ekrọn, ndị Ekrọn kwara akwa sị, “Ha e burula igbe ọgbụgba ndụ chi ndị Izrel butere anyị, ka anyị na ndị anyị nwụsịa!”
So they sent the Ark of God to Ekron, but as soon as it arrived, the leaders of Ekron shouted, “They've moved the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us and our people!”
11 Ya mere, ha kpọkọtara ndịisi ndị Filistia niile sị ha, “Sinụ nʼobodo zipụ igbe chi ndị Izrel, maọbụ zighachinụ ya nʼobodo e si bute ya na mbụ, ka ọ hapụ igbuchapụ anyị na ndị anyị.” Nʼihi egwu maka ọnwụ ejidela ndị niile bi nʼobodo. Aka Chineke dịkwa ike nke ukwuu megide obodo ahụ.
So they sent for all the Philistine rulers and said, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, back to where it came from, otherwise it's going to kill us and our people.” People were dying throughout the town, creating terrible panic, for God's punishment was very hard.
12 Ndị na-anwụghị ka e mere ka etuto jupụta ha nʼahụ, mkpu akwa nke ndị obodo ahụ ruru eluigwe.
Those who didn't die were plagued with swellings, and the cry for help from the town reached up to heaven.
