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 Eben-ezer to Ashdod.

2 Aphinda alithwala alisa ethempelini likaDagoni.

When the Philistines took the ark of God, they 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 when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon [had] fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

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 when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD: and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshhold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.

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

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshhold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

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

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, [even] Ashdod, and its borders.

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 when the men of Ashdod saw that [it was] so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is severe 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.

They sent therefore, and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel [thither].

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

And it was [so], that after they had carried it thither, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

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.”

Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay 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.

So they sent and convened all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

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

And the men that died not, were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.