1 USamuyeli 5

1 Emva kokuba amaFilistiya esethumbe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, alithatha e-Ebhenezeri alisa e-Ashidodi.

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Abenezer to Azotus.

2 Aphinda alithwala alisa ethempelini likaDagoni.

And the Philistines took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3 Kwathi abantu base-Ashidodi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu okwalandelayo, nango uDagoni, ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo! Bamthatha uDagoni bambeka endaweni yakhe.

And the people of Azotus rose early, and entered into the house of Dagon; and looked, and behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the Lord: and they lifted up Dagon, and set him in his place. And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Azotians, and he plagued them, and he struck them in their secret parts, Azotus and her coasts.

4 Kodwa ngakusasa ekuseni bathi bevuka, nango uDagoni, ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo! Ikhanda lakhe lezandla kwakugumukile kuthe qekele eduze lomnyango; kwakusele umzimba wakhe kuphela.

And it came to pass when they rose early in the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off each before the threshold, and both the wrists of his hands had fallen on the floor of the porch; only the stump of Dagon was left.

5 Ngalokho-ke kuze kube lamhla abaphristi bakaDagoni labanye nje abangena ethempelini likaDagoni kabanyatheli ekuqaliseni komnyango.

Therefore the priests of Dagon, and every one that enters into the house of Dagon, do not tread upon the threshold of the house of Dagon in Azotus until this day, for they step over.

6 Isandla sikaThixo sasinzima phezu kwabantu base-Ashidodi laseduze kwayo; wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwabo yabahlupha langamathumba.

And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon Azotus, and he brought evil upon them, and it burst out upon them into the ships, and mice sprang up in the midst of their country, and there was a great and indiscriminate mortality in the city.

7 Kwathi abantu base-Ashidodi bebona okwakusenzakala, bathi, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli akumelanga lihlale lathi lapha, ngoba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu laphezu kukaDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.”

And the men of Azotus saw that [it was] so, and they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand [is] heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god.

8 Ngakho babiza bonke ababusi bamaFilistiya bababuza bathi, “Sizakwenzani ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli na?” Baphendula bathi, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli liseni eGathi.” Ngakho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu balisa eGathi.

And they send and gather the lords of the Philistines to them, and say, What shall we do to the ark of the God of Israel? and the Gittites say, Let the ark of God come over to us; and the ark of the God of Israel came to Geth.

9 Kodwa kwathi sebelihambisile, isandla sikaThixo samelana lalelodolobho, okwenza kwaba lokuthuthumela okukhulu kulo. Wahlupha abantu bedolobho lelo, abatsha labadala, ngokuphihlika kwamathumba.

And it came to pass after it went about to Geth, that the hand of the Lord comes upon the city, a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city small and great, and struck them in their secret parts: and the Gittites made to themselves images of tumours.

10 Ngakho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lasiwa e-Ekroni. Kwathi ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu lifika e-Ekroni, abantu base-Ekroni bakhala besithi, “Sebelethe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli kithi lapha ukuzasibulala kanye labantu bakithi.”

And they send away the ark of God to Ascalon; and it came to pass when the ark of God went into Ascalon, that the men of Ascalon cried out, saying, Why have you brought back the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people?

11 Ngakho babiza bonke ababusi bamaFilistiya, bathi, “Susani ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli; kalibuyele emuva endaweni yalo, hlezi lisibulale thina kanye labantu bakithi.” Ngoba ukufa kwakwenze kwaba lokuthuthumela edolobheni; isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu phezu kwalo.

And they send and gather the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it lodge in its place; and let it not kill us and our people.

12 Labo abangafanga baphunywa ngamathumba, njalo umkhosi wedolobho waya phezulu ezulwini.

For there was a very great confusion in all the city, when the ark of the God of Israel entered there; and those, who lived and died not were struck with tumours; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.