Eyokuqala KaSamuweli 5:1-12
5 Emva kokuba amaFilisti ethimbe iTyeya+ kaThixo wokwenene, ayisusa e-Ebhenezere ayizisa eAshdode.
2 AmaFilisti ayithatha ayizisa endlini* kaDagon, ayimisa ecaleni kukaDagon.+
3 Xa avukayo ekuseni ama-Ashdode ngemini elandelayo, nanko uDagon ewe bhuma ngobuso phambi kweTyeya kaYehova.+ Ngoko amthatha uDagon ambuyisela endaweni yakhe.+
4 Akuvuka ekuseni ngemini elandelayo, nanko uDagon ewe bhuma ngobuso emhlabeni phambi kweTyeya kaYehova. Intloko kaDagon neentende zezandla zakhe zozibini zazinqumkile, ziwele emgubasini womnyango. Yindawo emile okwentlanzi kuphela* eyayingenzekanga nto.
5 Yiloo nto ababingeleli bakaDagon nabo bonke abantu abangena endlini kaDagon, bengawunyatheli umgubasi womnyango kaDagon eAshdode.
6 Isandla sikaYehova sasiqatha kuma-Ashdode, yaye abantu baseAshdode nabemimandla yayo wababetha ngamathumba ngaphakathi ezimpundu.+
7 Xa amadoda aseAshdode ayibonayo into eyayisenzeka, athi: “ITyeya kaThixo kaSirayeli mayingahlali apha phakathi kwethu, kuba isandla sakhe siye sagadalala kakhulu kuthi nakuthixo wethu, uDagon.”
8 Ngoko athumela, ebiza intlanganiso yazo zonke iinkosi zamaFilisti aza athi: “Senze ntoni ngale Tyeya kaThixo kaSirayeli?” Zona zathi: “Mayisiwe eGati+ le Tyeya kaThixo kaSirayeli.” Ngoko bayifudusela apho iTyeya kaThixo kaSirayeli.
9 Emva kokuba beyifudusele eGati, isandla sikaYehova saba phezu kweso sixeko, baphakuzela abantu. Wohlwaya wonke umntu kweso sixeko, ukususela ebantwaneni ukuya ebantwini abadala, baba namathumba ngaphakathi ezimpundu.+
10 Ngoko bayisa e-Ekron+ iTyeya kaThixo wokwenene. Kodwa kuthe nje yakuba iTyeya kaThixo wokwenene ifikile e-Ekron, amaEkron alila esithi: “Bazise iTyeya kaThixo kaSirayeli ukuze thina nabantu bakowethu sibulawe!”+
11 Ngoko athumela, ebiza intlanganiso yazo zonke iinkosi zamaFilisti aza athi: “Mayisuswe phakathi kwethu le Tyeya kaThixo kaSirayeli. Mayibuyiselwe endaweni yayo ukuze thina nabantu bakowethu singabulawa.” Kuba bonke abantu besixeko babengcangcazela besoyika ukufa. Isandla sikaThixo wokwenene sasigadalala kakhulu e-Ekron.+
12 Abo bangazange bafe, babethwa ngamathumba ngaphakathi ezimpundu. Kwaza ukukhalela uncedo kwesixeko kwanyukela emazulwini.
