USAMUWELI I 5

₁AmaFilisti ayithabatha ityeya kaThixo, esuka nayo e-Ebhenezere, aya nayo eAshdode. ₂Ayithabatha amaFilisti ityeya kaThixo, aya nayo endlwini kaDagon, ayimisa ecaleni koDagon. ₃Bavuka kusasa ngengomso abaseAshdode, nanko uDagon ewile ngobuso emhlabeni phambi kwetyeya kaYehova. Bamthabatha uDagon, babuya bammisa endaweni yakhe. ₄Bavuka kusasa ngengomso, nanko uDagon ewile ngobuso emhlabeni phambi kwetyeya kaYehova, intloko kaDagon nezandla zakhe zozibini zinqumkile, zisembundwini womnyango, kusele isikhondo sodwa. ₅Ngenxa yoko ababingeleli bakaDagon, nabo bonke abangenayo endlwini kaDagon, àbanyatheli embundwini womnyango wendlu kaDagon eAshdode unanamhla.

₆Saba nzima isandla sikaYehova phezu kwabaseAshdode, sabaphanzisa, sababetha ngamathumba, iAshdode ke nemida yayo.

₇Akubona amadoda aseAshdode ukuba kunjalo, athi, Ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli mayingahlali kuthi; ngokuba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu, naphezu koDagon uthixo wethu. ₈Athumela ahlanganisela kuwo zonke izikhulu zamaFilisti, athi, Síyithini na ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli? Zathi, Mayijike iye eGati. Ayijika ke ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli. ₉Kwathi emveni kokujikwa kwayo, isandla sikaYehova saba phezu kwaloo mzi, sasisaqunge esikhulu kunene; wababulala abantu baloo mzi, kwathabathela kwabancinane kwesa kwabakhulu, bathi gqobhogqobho amathumba.

₁₀Bayithumela ityeya kaThixo e-Ekron. Kwathi, xa ifikayo ityeya kaThixo e-Ekron, bakhala abase-Ekron, besithi, Bayijikéle kuthi ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli, ukuba isibulale thina nabantu bakowethu. ₁₁Bathumela, bazihlanganisa zonke izikhulu zamaFilisti, bathi, Yimkiseni ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli, ibuyele endaweni yayo, ingasibulali thina, nabantu bakowethu; ngokuba ukuqungaqunga kokufa bekukho kuwo wonke umzi, besinzima kunene isandla sikaThixo khona. ₁₂Abantu abangafanga babethwa ngamathumba; kwenyuka kwaya ezulwini ukuzibika komzi.