1 USamuweli 5

₁AmaFilisti awuthatha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu, awususa e-Ebheni Ezeri, awuyisa e-Ashidodi. ₂AmaFilisti awuthatha umphongolo kaNkulunkulu, awungenisa endlini kaDagoni, awubeka eceleni kukaDagoni. ₃Kwathi bevuka abantu base-Ashidodi ekuseni ngakusasa; bheka, uDagoni wayewele phansi emhlabathini phambi komphongolo kaSimakade. Bamthatha uDagoni, bambuyisela endaweni yakhe. ₄Bavuka ngakusasa ekuseni; uyabona-ke, uDagoni wayewele phansi emhlabathini phambi komphongolo kaSimakade, ikhanda likaDagoni nezihlakala zombili zezandla zakhe zazinqamukile, zisembundwini, kwakusele isidikinyane kuphela. ₅Yingakho nje abaphristi bakaDagoni kuze kube namuhla, nabo bonke abangena endlini kaDagoni benganyatheli embundwini kaDagoni ose-Ashidodi.

₆Isandla sikaSimakade saba nzima phezu kwabase-Ashidodi, wabashaya, wababhubhisa ngamathumba, i-Ashidodi nezifunda zayo. ₇Abantu base-Ashidodi sebebona ukuthi kunjalo, bathi: “Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli awuyukuhlala kithi, ngokuba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu naphezu kukaDagoni, unkulunkulu wethu.”

₈Bathumela, baqoqa onke amakhosi amaFilisti, bathi: “Sizokwenzenjani ngomphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli na?”

Athi: “Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli masiwuthuthele eGathi.”

Bawuthuthela khona umphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. ₉Kwathi ukuba bawuthuthele khona, isandla sikaSimakade saba phezu kwalowo muzi, kwaba khona ukudideka okukhulu, wabulala abantu bomuzi, abancane nabadala bamilwa ngamathumba. ₁₀Umphongolo kaNkulunkulu base bewuthuthela e-Ekhroni. Kwathi lapho ufika e-Ekhroni, abantu base-Ekhroni bakhala, bathi: “Balethe lapha lo mphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba asibulale thina nabantu bakithi.”

₁₁Bathumela, baqoqela ndawonye wonke amakhosi amaFilisti, bathi: “Wususeni umphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ubuyele endaweni yawo, ukuze ungasibulali thina nabantu bakithi,” ngokuba kwaba khona ukwesaba okukhulu emzini wonke, besaba ukufa. Bheka, isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu kubo. ₁₂Abantu abangafanga bashaywa ngamathumba; ukukhala komuzi kwenyukela ezulwini.