1 USamuyeli 5

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

Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

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

The Philistines took it, and brought it into the house 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 the Ashdodites rose early on the next day, and look, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of Jehovah. So they raised up Dagon and set him in his place again.

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 it happened when they arose early the next morning, look, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon's torso was intact.

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

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon's house, step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day.

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

But the hand of Jehovah was heavy on the Ashdodites, and he ravaged them and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And he brought up against them mice, and they burst out in their ships, and mice sprang up in the midst of their land, and there was a great terror of death 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.

When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of God shall not stay with us; for his hand is severe on us, and on 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.

So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of God?" Then the Gittites answered, "Let the ark of God be carried over to us." So they brought the ark of God to Gath.

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

And it came about that after they had brought it around, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great confusion: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them.

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

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "Why have you brought about 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.

And they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people." For there was a panic throughout all the city when the ark of God arrived there.

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

The men who did not die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.