1 Samuel 5
1 Filistifoɔ no faa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no akyi, wɔmaa so firii Ebeneser akono hɔ kɔɔ kuropɔn Asdod mu.
Then the Philistines took the ark of God, and they transported it from the Stone of Assistance into Ashdod.
2 Wɔsoaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ Dagon abosonnan mu. Wɔde kɔsii ohoni Dagon nkyɛn.
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it into the temple of Dagon. And they stationed it beside Dagon.
3 Nanso, ɛberɛ a adeɛ kyeeɛ a Asdod kuro mma no kɔhwɛeɛ no, na Dagon ahwe fam wɔ Awurade Apam Adaka no anim a nʼanim butu fam. Enti, wɔmaa ohoni no so gyinaa hɔ bio.
And when the Ashdodites had risen up at first light on the next day, behold, Dagon was lying prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and they set him again in his place.
4 Nanso, adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, na asɛm korɔ no ara asi bio. Na Dagon no ahwe fam wɔ Awurade Apam Adaka no anim a nʼanim butu fam. Saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ, na ne ti ne ne nsa abubu afiri so deda ɛpono ano. Ne kuntunsini na na aka da hɔ a ammubu.
And again, on the next day, rising up in the morning, they found Dagon lying on his face upon the ground, before the ark of the Lord. But the head of Dagon, and both palms of his hands had been cut off upon the threshold.
5 Ɛno enti na ɛbɛsi ɛnnɛ yi, Dagon asɔfoɔ anaa obiara a ɔbɛwura abosonnan mu hɔ no ntia aponnwa no so no.
Moreover, only the trunk of Dagon remained in its place. For this reason, the priests of Dagon, and all who enter his temple, do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, even to this day.
6 Na Awurade maa mpɔmpɔ bobɔɔ Asdodfoɔ ne ne mpɔtam hɔfoɔ no.
Now the hand of the Lord weighed heavily upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them. And he struck Ashdod and its borders at the inner part of the buttocks. And in the villages and fields, in the midst of that region, mice rose up and burst forth. And this caused a great tumult unto death in the city.
7 Ɛberɛ Asdodfoɔ hunuu asɛm a aba no, wɔkaa sɛ, “Yɛrentumi mma Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ntena yɛn nkyɛn. Ɔtia yɛn! Ɔbɛsɛe yɛn ne yɛn nyame, Dagon nyinaa.”
Then the men of Ashdod, seeing this kind of plague, said: “The ark of the God of Israel shall not remain with us. For his hand is harsh, over us and over Dagon, our god.”
8 Enti, wɔfrɛɛ Filistifoɔ nkuropɔn enum mu sodifoɔ nyinaa bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na yɛnyɛ Israel Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka yi?” Sodifoɔ no susuu asɛm no ho na wɔbuaa sɛ, “Momfa Israel Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no nkɔ Gat.” Enti, wɔde Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ Gat.
And sending, they gathered together all the princes of the Philistines to them, and they said, “What shall we do about the ark of the God of Israel?” And the Gathites responded, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be led around.” And they led the ark of the God of Israel around.
9 Nanso, ɛberɛ a Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no duruu Gat no, Awurade maa mpɔmpɔ bobɔɔ kuro no mufoɔ, mpanin ne mmɔfra, na wɔsuroo yie.
And as they were carrying it around, the hand of the Lord fell upon every single city with an exceedingly great slaughter. And he struck down the men of each and every city, from the small even to the great. And cysts were festering at their buttocks. And the Gathites took counsel, and they made for themselves seat covers from pelts.
10 Enti, wɔde Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ Ekron kuropɔn mu, na wɔde rewura hɔ no, Ekronfoɔ no suu sɛ, “Wɔde Israel Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no reba yɛn nkyɛn de abɛkunkum yɛn nso.”
Therefore, they sent the ark of God into Ekron. And when the ark of God had arrived at Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, so that it may kill us and our people!”
11 Enti, nnipa frɛɛ sodifoɔ no bio, srɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monsane mfa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no mfiri ha nkɔ ne ɔman mu, anyɛ saa a, ɛbɛkunkum yɛn nyinaa.” Saa ɛberɛ no na ɔyaredɔm a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn no ahyɛ aseɛ dada ama huboa abɛtɔ kuropɔn no so.
And so they sent and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and they said: “Release the ark of the God of Israel, and return it to its own place. And let it not kill us, with our people.”
12 Wɔn a wɔanwuwu no, wɔmaa mpɔmpɔ bobɔɔ wɔn. Na agyaadwotwa baa baabiara.
For the fear of death fell upon every single city, and the hand of God was very heavy. Also, the men who did not die were being afflicted in the inner part of the buttocks. And the wailing of each city was ascending to heaven.
