1 USamuyeli 5

1 AmaFilisti asewuthatha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu awususa eEbeni-Ezeri awusa eAshidodi.

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it from the Stone of help into Azotus.

2 AmaFilisti asethatha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, awungenisa endlini kaDagoni, awubeka ngakuDagoni.

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the temple of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3 Kwathi abeAshidodi bevuka kusisa ngovivi, khangela, uDagoni esewile ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi. Basebemthatha uDagoni, bambuyisela endaweni yakhe.

And when the Azotians arose early the next day, behold Dagon lay upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord: and they took Dagon, and set him again in his place.

4 Sebevukile kusisa ekuseni kakhulu, khangela, uDagoni wayesewile ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi, lekhanda likaDagoni lempama zombili zezandla zakhe kwakuqunyiwe embundwini; kwasala kuye isithombo kuphela.

And the next day again, when they rose in the morning, they found Dagon lying upon his face on the earth before the ark of the Lord: and the head of Dagon, and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold:

5 Ngakho abapristi bakaDagoni labo bonke abangena endlini kaDagoni kabanyatheli embundwini kaDagoni eAshidodi kuze kube lamuhla.

And only the stump of Dagon remained in its place. For this cause neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that go into the temple tread on the threshold of Dagon in Azotus unto this day.

6 Kodwa isandla seNkosi saba nzima phezu kwabeAshidodi, yabachitha, yabatshaya ngamathumba ophayo, iAshidodi lemingcele yayo.

And the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the Azotians, and he destroyed them, and afflicted Azotus and the coasts thereof with emerods. And in the villages and fields in the midst of that country, there came forth a multitude of mice, and there was the confusion of a great mortality in the city.

7 Kwathi abantu beAshidodi sebebona ukuthi kunjalo, bathi: Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kawungahlali kithi, ngoba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu laphezu kukaDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.

And the men of Azotus seeing this kind of plague, said: The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us: for his hand is heavy upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8 Ngakho bathuma babuthanisa zonke iziphathamandla zamaFilisti kibo, bathi: Sizakwenzani ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli? Zasezisithi: Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kawubhode uye eGathi. Basebewubhodisa bewusa khona umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.

And sending, they gathered together all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said: What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And the Gethrites answered: Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.

9 Kwasekusithi sebewubhodise bewuthwele, isandla seNkosi sasimelene lomuzi ngomonakalo omkhulu kakhulu, yatshaya abantu bomuzi, kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu; kwasekuqhamuka amathumba ophayo kubo.

And while they were carrying it about, the band of the Lord came upon every city with an exceeding great slaughter: and he smote the men of every city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. And the Gethrites consulted together, and made themselves seats of skins.

10 Basebewuthumela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eEkhironi. Kwasekusithi ekufikeni komtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eEkhironi, abeEkhironi bakhala besithi: Babhodise baletha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli kithi ukusibulala labantu bakithi.

Therefore they sent the ark of God into Accaron. And when the ark of God was come into Accaron, the Accaronites cried out, saying: They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.

11 Ngakho bathuma babuthanisa zonke iziphathamandla zamaFilisti, bathi: Thumani lisuse umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli ukuthi ubuyele endaweni yawo, ukuze ungasibulali labantu bakithi, ngoba kwakulomonakalo wokufa emzini wonke, lesandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu khona.

They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines: and they said: Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return into its own place, and not kill us and our people.

12 Labantu abangafanga batshaywa ngamathumba ophayo; lokukhala komuzi kwenyukela emazulwini.

For there was the fear of death in every city, and the hand of God was exceeding heavy. The men also that did not die, were afflicted with the emerods: and the cry of every city went up to heaven.