The Covenant Box among the Philistines
1 After the Philistines captured the Covenant Box, they carried it from Ebenezer to their city of Ashdod, 2 took it into the temple of their god Dagon, and set it up beside his statue. 3 Early the next morning the people of Ashdod saw that the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground in front of the Lord's Covenant Box. So they lifted it up and put it back in its place. 4 Early the following morning they saw that the statue had again fallen down in front of the Covenant Box. This time its head and both its arms were broken off and were lying in the doorway; only the body was left. ( 5 That is why even today the priests of Dagon and all his worshipers in Ashdod step over that place and do not walk on it.)
6 The Lord punished the people of Ashdod severely and terrified them. He punished them and the people in the surrounding territory by causing them to have tumors. 7 When they saw what was happening, they said, “The God of Israel is punishing us and our god Dagon. We can't let the Covenant Box stay here any longer.” 8 So they sent messengers and called together all five of the Philistine kings and asked them, “What shall we do with the Covenant Box of the God of Israel?”
“Take it over to Gath,” they answered; so they took it to Gath, another Philistine city. 9 But after it arrived there, the Lord punished that city too and caused a great panic. He punished them with tumors which developed in all the people of the city, young and old alike. 10 So they sent the Covenant Box to Ekron, another Philistine city; but when it arrived there, the people cried out, “They have brought the Covenant Box of the God of Israel here, in order to kill us all!” 11 So again they sent for all the Philistine kings and said, “Send the Covenant Box of Israel back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our families.” There was panic throughout the city because God was punishing them so severely. 12 Even those who did not die developed tumors and the people cried out 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.
