I Samuelis 5
1 Philisthim autem tulerunt arcam Dei et asportaverunt eam a lapide Adiutorii in Azotum
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 tulerunt Philisthim arcam Dei et intulerunt eam in templum Dagon et statuerunt eam iuxta Dagon
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
3 cumque surrexissent diluculo Azotii altera die ecce Dagon iacebat pronus in terram ante arcam Domini et tulerunt Dagon et restituerunt eum in loco suo
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 rursumque mane die alio consurgentes invenerunt Dagon iacentem super faciem suam in terram coram arca Domini caput autem Dagon et duae palmae manuum eius abscisae erant super limen
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 porro Dagon truncus solus remanserat in loco suo propter hanc causam non calcant sacerdotes Dagon et omnes qui ingrediuntur templum eius super limen Dagon in Azoto usque in hodiernum diem
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 adgravata autem est manus Domini super Azotios et demolitus est eos et percussit in secretiori parte natium Azotum et fines eius
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 videntes autem viri azotii huiuscemodi plagam dixerunt non maneat arca Dei Israhel apud nos quoniam dura est manus eius super nos et super Dagon deum nostrum
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 et mittentes congregaverunt omnes satrapas Philisthinorum ad se et dixerunt quid faciemus de arca Dei Israhel responderuntque Getthei circumducatur arca Dei Israhel et circumduxerunt arcam Dei Israhel
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 illis autem circumducentibus eam fiebat manus Dei per singulas civitates interfectionis magnae nimis et percutiebat viros uniuscuiusque urbis a parvo usque ad maiorem et conputrescebant prominentes extales eorum
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 miserunt ergo arcam Dei in Accaron cumque venisset arca Dei in Accaron exclamaverunt Accaronitae dicentes adduxerunt ad nos arcam Dei Israhel ut interficiat nos et populum nostrum
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 miserunt itaque et congregaverunt omnes satrapas Philisthinorum qui dixerunt dimittite arcam Dei Israhel et revertatur in locum suum et non interficiat nos cum populo nostro
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 fiebat enim pavor mortis in singulis urbibus et gravissima valde manus Dei viri quoque qui mortui non fuerant percutiebantur in secretiori parte natium et ascendebat ululatus uniuscuiusque civitatis in caelum
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].
