1 Samuel 5
1 Filistifo no faa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no akyi, wɔmaa so fii Ebeneser akono hɔ kɔɔ kuropɔn Asdod mu.
After the army of the Philistia people-group captured God’s sacred chest in Ebenezer [town], they took it to Ashdod [which is one of their biggest cities].
2 Wɔsoaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ Dagon abosonnan mu. Wɔde kosii ohoni Dagon nkyɛn.
They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.
3 Nanso ade kyee a Asdod kurowmma no kɔhwɛe no, na Dagon ahwe fam wɔ Awurade Apam Adaka no anim a nʼanim butuw fam. Enti wɔmaa ohoni no so gyinaa hɔ bio.
But early the next morning, when the people of Ashdod [went to see it, they saw that] the statue had fallen on its face in front of Yahweh’s sacred chest! So they set the statue up in its place again.
4 Nanso ade kyee anɔpa no, na asɛm koro no ara asi bio. Na Dagon no ahwe fam wɔ Awurade Apam Adaka no anim a nʼanim butuw fam. Saa bere yi de, na ne ti ne ne nsa abubu afi so deda ɔpon ano. Ne sin no na na aka da hɔ a ammubu.
But the following morning, [they saw that] it had fallen down in front of the sacred chest again. But this time, the statue’s head and hands had broken off, and were lying in the doorway. Only its body remained intact/unbroken.
5 Ɛno nti na ebesi nnɛ yi, Dagon asɔfo anaa obiara a obewura abosonnan mu hɔ no ntia aponnua no so no.
That is the reason that since that time, the priests of Dagon and everyone else who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the doorsill [where the hands and head of Dagon fell].
6 Na Awurade maa pɔmpɔ bobɔɔ Asdodfo ne ne mpɔtam hɔfo no.
Then Yahweh [SYN] powerfully caused the people of Ashdod and the people who lived in nearby villages to have (a very great plague/serious illness) of tumors.
7 Bere a Asdodfo huu asɛm a aba no, wɔkae se, “Yɛrentumi mma Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ntena yɛn nkyɛn. Otia yɛn! Ɔbɛsɛe yɛn ne yɛn nyame, Dagon nyinaa.”
The men of Ashdod realized why this was happening, and they cried out, “The god of the Israeli people is punishing us and is also punishing our god Dagon. So we cannot allow the sacred chest of the god of the Israelis to remain here!”
8 Enti wɔfrɛɛ Filistifo nkuropɔn anum mu asodifo nyinaa bisaa wɔn se, “Dɛn na yɛnyɛ Israel Nyankopɔn Apam Adaka yi?” Asodifo no susuw asɛm no ho na wobuae se, “Momfa Israel Nyankopɔn Apam Adaka no nkɔ Gat.” Enti wɔde Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ Gat.
They summoned the five kings of the Philistia people-group, and asked them, “What should we do with the sacred chest of the god of the Israelis?” The kings replied, “Take the sacred chest to Gath [city].” So they moved it to Gath.
9 Nanso Bere a Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no duu Gat no, Awurade maa pɔmpɔ bobɔɔ kurow no mufo, mpanyin ne mmofra, na wosuroo yiye.
But after they took it to Gath, Yahweh powerfully struck the people of that city also, with the result that many men, including young men and old men, got tumors on their skin. Then the people became very afraid.
10 Enti wɔde Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ Ekron kuropɔn mu, na wɔde rewura hɔ no, Ekronfo no suu se, “Wɔde Israel Nyankopɔn Apam Adaka no reba yɛn nkyɛn de abekunkum yɛn nso.”
So they took the sacred chest to Ekron [city]. But when the men carried the sacred chest into Ekron, the people there cried out, “Why are you bringing the sacred chest of the God of the Israelis into our city [RHQ]? [By doing that] you will cause us and the rest of our people to die!”
11 Enti nnipa no frɛɛ Filistifo asodifo no nyinaa, srɛɛ wɔn se, “Monsan mfa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no mfi ha nkɔ ne man mu, anyɛ saa a, ebekunkum yɛn nyinaa.” Saa bere no na ɔyaredɔm a efi Onyankopɔn nkyɛn no afi ase dedaw ama huboa abɛtɔ kuropɔn no so.
The people were terrified/in panic because [they knew that] God was starting to punish them severely. So they summoned the [five] kings of the Philistia people-group again, and [pleaded with them], saying, “Take this sacred chest of the god of the Israelis back to its own place! If you do not do that quickly, we will all die!”
12 Wɔn a wɔanwuwu no, wɔmaa pɔmpɔ bobɔɔ wɔn. Na agyaadwotwa baa baabiara.
Some of the people in Ekron had already died, and the rest of the people were suffering because of tumors on their skin. So they all cried out to their gods [MTY] [to help them].
