Eyokuqala EkaSamuyeli 5:1-12
5 AmaFilisti athi esethumbe ibhokisi+ likaNkulunkulu weqiniso, alisusa e-Ebhenezeri alisa e-Ashidodi.
2 Athatha ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso ahamba lalo ethempelini likaDagoni,* afika alibeka eceleni kukaDagoni.+
3 Abantu be-Ashidodi bathi bevuka ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo, bathola uDagoni ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi likaJehova.+ Yikho bamvusa bambuyisela endaweni yakhe.+
4 Bathi bevuka futhi ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo bathola uDagoni ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi likaJehova. Ikhanda lakhe lezandla zakhe zonke kwakuqamukile futhi kusesitubhini somnyango. Ingxenye yomzimba wakhe eyayibunjwe angathi yinhlanzi yiyo kuphela eyayingaqamukanga.
5 Yikho kuze kube lamuhla abaphristi bakaDagoni labantu bonke abangena ethempelini likaDagoni* benganyatheli isitubhu somnyango wendlu kaDagoni e-Ashidodi.
6 UJehova wabajezisa kabuhlungu abantu be-Ashidodi. Wajezisa abantu be-Ashidodi labahlala ezindaweni eziseduze layo ngokubenza baphume amathumba ezihlalweni.+
7 Abantu be-Ashidodi bathi bebona okwasekusenzakala bathi: “Susani ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli phakathi kwethu, ngoba usijezise kabuhlungu thina lonkulunkulu wethu uDagoni.”
8 Ngakho bathumela ilizwi baqoqa wonke amakhosi amaFilisti bathi kuwo: “Senzeni ngebhokisi likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli?” Abaphendula athi: “Ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli kalihanjiswe eGathi.”+ Yikho balithatha balihambisa eGathi.
9 Bathi sebelihambise eGathi, isandla sikaJehova samelana labantu bedolobho lelo, futhi bonke besaba kakhulu. Wajezisa abantu bonke, abancane labadala, baphuma amathumba ezihlalweni.+
10 Yikho bathatha ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu weqiniso balisa e-Ekhroni.+ Lathi lifika nje e-Ekhroni abantu balapho baqalisa ukukhala besithi: “Bathethe ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli baliletha lapha ukuze basibulalise thina labantu bakithi siphele du!”+
11 Ngakho bathumela ilizwi baqoqa wonke amakhosi amaFilisti bathi kuwo: “Susani ibhokisi likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli lapha, lilibuyisele endaweni yalo ukuze thina labantu bakithi singafi.” Phela bonke abantu base-Ekhroni babesesaba ukuthi bangafa ngoba uNkulunkulu weqiniso wayebajezise kabuhlungu.+
12 Labo abasala bephila babejeziswe ngamathumba aphuma ezihlalweni. Abantu bedolobho lelo bakhala kakhulu becela uncedo, isililo sabo sayafika ezulwini.
