1 USamuyeli 5 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Umtshokotsho wesivumelwano usala elizweni lamaFilistiya

¹ AmaFilistiya esewuthumbile umtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu awususa eEbenezeri awusa eAshidodi.

² AmaFilistiya awuthatha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, awungenisa endlini kaDagoni, awubeka phansi kwakhe uDagoni.

³ Kwathi abantu baseAshidodi bevuka kusasa ekuseni bafumanisa uDagoni esewele phansi ngobuso phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi. Bamthatha uDagoni, bambuyisela endaweni yakhe.

⁴ Kodwa lapho bevuka kusasa ekuseni uDagoni wayesewele phansi futhi ngobuso phambi komtshokotsho weNkosi, ikhanda likaDagoni kanye lezandla zakhe zombili kwakuqamukile kusembundwini womnyango, kwasala umzimba wakhe kuphela.

⁵ Ngalokhuke abapristi bakaDagoni labo bonke abangena endlini kaDagoni kabanyatheli embundwini womnyango kaDagoni eAshidodi kuze kube lamuhla.

⁶ INkosi yabaphatha kalukhuni abantu baseAshidodi, yabahlupha kakhulu, yabehlisela amathumba, eAshidodi lendaweni zakhona.

⁷ Abantu baseAshidodi sebebona ukuthi izinto zinjalo, bathi: Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kawungahlali kithi, ngoba isandla sakhe sinzima kithi lakuDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.

⁸ Basebebiza zonke izikhulu zamaFilistiya, bazibuthanisa bathi: Sizakwenza njani ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli na? Zaphendula zathi: Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kawulethwe eGathi. Basebewuletha khona umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.

⁹ Sebewulethile khona, isandla seNkosi sehlisela kulowomuzi umonakalo omkhulu, satshaya abantu bomuzi, abancinyane labadala, baphunywa ngamathumba.

¹⁰ Basebewuthumela eEkroni umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu. Kodwa kwathi lapho umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu ufika eEkroni, abaseEkroni bakhala bathi: Basilethele umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli ukuba usibulale labakithi.

¹¹ Basebebiza zonke izikhulu zamaFilistiya, bathi: Susani umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli ubuyele endaweni yawo, ukuba ungasibulali labantu bakithi. Kwakukhona ukufa lomonakalo omkhulu emzini wonke, ngoba isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu.

¹² Lalabo abangafanga baphunywa ngamathumba; ukukhala kwenyukela ezulwini.