1 Hamuera 5
1 Na, tera kua riro te aaka a te Atua i nga Pirihitini, kua mauria atu i Epeneetere ki Aharoro.
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
2 Na ka mau nga Pirihitini ki te aaka a te Atua, a kawea ana e ratou ki te whare o Rakono, whakaturia ake ki te taha o Rakono.
carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
3 A, no te marangatanga ake o nga Aharori i te aonga ake, na kua taka, kua tapapa iho a Rakono ki te whenua ki mua i te aaka a Ihowa. Na ka mau ratou ki a Rakono, whakanohoia ake ana e ratou ki tona wahi ano.
When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.
4 Na, i to ratou marangatanga ake i te ata tonu o tetahi ra, na kua taka a Rakono, kua tapapa ki te whenua ki mua i te aaka a Ihowa; a ko te matenga o Rakono me nga kapu e rua o ona ringa, e takoto mutu ana i runga i te paepae o te tatau; ko te tum utumu anake o Rakono i mahue ki a ia.
But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.
5 Koia nga tohunga o Rakono me te hunga katoa e haere ana ki te whare o Rakono te takahi ai ki runga ki te paepae o Rakono ki Aharoro, a mohoa noa nei.
That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.
6 Ka pehia ia nga Aharori e te ringa o Ihowa, a huna iho ratou e ia; i patua hoki ratou e ia ki te pukupuku, ara a Aharoro me ona rohe.
Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
7 A, no te kitenga o nga tangata o Aharoro i taua meatanga, ka mea ratou, E kore te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira e noho ki a tatou; he uaua mai hoki tona ringa ki a tatou, ki to tatou atua hoki, ki a Rakono.
And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”
8 Heoi ka unga tangata ratou hei huihui i nga rangatira katoa o nga Pirihitini ki a ratou. Na ka mea, Me aha matou ki te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira? A ka mea ratou, Me kawe te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki Kata. Na kawea ana e ratou te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki reira.
So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
9 A, no te kawenga atu, katahi ka pa te ringa o Ihowa ki te pa, nui atu te aitua; i patua hoki e ia nga tangata o te pa, te iti, te rahi, a whakaputaputa ana te pukupuku i runga i a ratou.
But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.
10 Na ka tukua e ratou te aaka a te Atua ki Ekerono. A, i te taenga atu te aaka a te Atua ki Ekerono, na ka karanga nga Ekeroni, ka mea, Kua kawea mai e ratou te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki a tatou, hei whakamate i a tatou, i to tatou iwi.
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!”
11 Koia ratou ka unga tangata atu, ka huihui i nga rangatira katoa o nga Pirihitini, a ka mea, Unga atu te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira kia whakahokia ki tona wahi, kei whakamatea matou me to matou iwi: he aitua whakamate hoki kei te pa katoa; he pehi rawa te ringa o te Atua ki reira.
Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.
12 Na, ko nga tangata kihai i mate, i patua ki te pukupuku, a kake ana te aue o te pa ki te rangi.
Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
