1 Samuel 5
1 Mgbe ndị Filistia buuru igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke, ha si Ebeneza buru ya buga Ashdọd.
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 Ha butere igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke, buba ya nʼime ụlọ Dagọn, dọba ya nʼakụkụ Dagọn.
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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 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.”
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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 Ndị na-anwụghị ka e mere ka etuto jupụta ha nʼahụ, mkpu akwa nke ndị obodo ahụ ruru eluigwe.
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].
