God Causes Trouble for the Philistines
1 The Philistines took the sacred chest from near Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They brought it into the temple of their god Dagon and put it next to the statue of Dagon, which they worshiped.
3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, they found the statue lying facedown on the floor in front of the sacred chest. They put the statue back where it belonged. 4 But early the next morning, it had fallen over again and was lying facedown on the floor in front of the chest. The body of the statue was still in one piece, but its head and both hands had broken off and were lying on the stone floor in the doorway. 5 This is why the priests and everyone else step over that part of the doorway when they enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod.
6 The Lord caused a lot of trouble for the people of Ashdod and their neighbors. He made sores break out all over their bodies, and everyone was in a panic. 7 Finally, they said, “The God of Israel did this. He is the one who caused all this trouble for us and our god Dagon. We've got to get rid of this chest.”
8 The people of Ashdod invited all the Philistine rulers to come to Ashdod, and they asked them, “What can we do with the sacred chest that belongs to the God of Israel?”
“Send it to Gath,” the rulers answered. But after they took it there, 9 the Lord made sores break out on everyone in town. The people of Gath were frightened, 10 so they sent the sacred chest to Ekron. But before they could take it through the town gates, the people of Ekron started screaming, “They've brought the sacred chest that belongs to the God of Israel! It will kill us and our families too!”
The Philistines Send Back the Sacred Chest
11 The people of Ekron called for another meeting of the Philistine rulers and told them, “Send this chest back where it belongs. Then it won't kill us.”
Everyone was in a panic, because God was causing a lot of people to die, 12 and those who had survived were suffering from the sores. They all cried to their gods for help.
Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe matji eta oumba kOvafilisti
1 Ovafilisti tji va za nokuhuura Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi ve tji isa mOeben-Eser nave tji twara kOasdod. 2 Nowo ve ketjihitisa mondjuwo onḓere yomukuru wawo wotjisenginina Dagon, nave tji twa meṋe yotjiserekarera tja Dagon. 3 Nu mependukirwa, ovature va Asdod tji va kahita mondjuwo onḓere, arire tji va munu otjiserekarera tja Dagon atja u onḓurumika momurungu wOtjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Muhona. Owo ve tji kengamisa nave tji kuramisa rukwao poṋa patjo. 4 Nungwari mependukirwa reyuva rarwe owo va muna ihi otjiserekarera tjomukuru wawo Dagon atja u onḓurumika rukwao momurungu wOtjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Muhona. Notjiuru tja Dagon nomake tjandje vya teka, nu vya wire momuvero; posi yaindwi orutu rwatjo porwarwo ondwa serwe po. 5 Nga ku ndinondi ovapristeri va Dagon novemukarere avehe opu ve ha zu okuyata komuti omutyakaṋa wokehi yomuvero, tji mave hiti mondjuwo onḓere ya Dagon mOasdod.
6 Muhona wa vera ovature va Asdod tjinene ne ve urumisa. Eye we ve verisa omisuro, novandu avehe mba turire meṋe yawo komikuma avihe wina. 7 Novature va Asdod tji va muna ihi tji tja tjitwa ku wo, arire tji va tja: “Ndjambi wa Israel me tu vere tjinene, nomukuru wetu Dagon wina. Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi wOvaisrael atji ha uhara ama tji kara pu eṱe rukwao.” 8 Owo otji va hinda ovatumwa, mba kaworonganisa inḓa ozombara ndano zOvafilisti nave ze pura ave tja: “Ngatu tjite vi nOtjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi wOvaisrael?”
Nozo za zira nai: “Tji twareye kotjihuro Gat.” Nowo otji ve tji twara ngo. 9 Notjo tji tja za nokutwarewa ngo, Muhona arire tja vere otjihuro hi Gat ne tji purukisa tjinene. Ndjambi wa vera ovature avehe votjihuro nomisuro, omitanda novakurundu. 10 Nu va hinda Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi kotjihuro Ekron. Notjo tji tja kavaza ngo, ovandu arire tji va ravaere ave tja: “Owo va eta Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi wOvaisrael nguno kutja tji tu zepe atuhe!” 11 Owo otji va isana inḓa ozombara azehe zOvafilisti nave tja: “Yarureye Otjipwikiro tjOmerikutiropamwe wa Ndjambi wOvaisrael hi koṋa ku tji kara kutja atji he tu zepa nomaṱunḓu wetu.” Motjihuro atjihe mwa kara omburukiro onene, Ndjambi tjinga a vera ovature vatjo. 12 Nangarire imba mbe ha kokere va verwa nomisuro novandu va kwa ombatero koomukuru vawo.
