5
1-2ペリシテ人は奪い取った神の箱を、エベン・エゼルの戦場からアシュドデの町へ移し、偶像ダゴンの宮に運び込みました。 3ところが翌朝、人々が見物に来ると、なんということでしょう。ダゴンが神の箱の前で、うつぶせに倒れているではありませんか。人々はあわてて元どおりに安置しました。 4ところが、次の日も同じことが起こったのです。ダゴンの像は神の箱の前にうつぶせに倒れ、しかも今度は胴体だけで、頭と両手は切り取られて敷居のあたりに散らばっていました。 5そういうわけで、ダゴンの祭司も参拝者も、今日に至るまで、アシュドデにあるダゴンの宮の敷居を踏んだことがありません。
6さらに主は、アシュドデと周囲の村々の住民を腫物で打ち始めました。 7この出来事に人々は浮足立ちました。「これ以上、イスラエルの神の箱をここに置いてはならない。ダゴンの神もろとも、みんな大変な目に会うぞ。」
8ペリシテ人の五つの町の指導者が召集され、イスラエルの神の箱をどうしたものか協議しました。その結果、ガテに移しました。 9ところが移せば移したで、今度はガテの町の人々が、老若を問わず、腫物によって打たれたのです。町はパニックに陥りました。 10そこで人々は、その箱をエクロンに送りました。しかし神の箱を見たエクロンの人々は、「イスラエルの神の箱を持って来たりして、われわれまで殺す気か」と騒ぎだしたのです。 11そこで人々はもう一度指導者を召集し、町が全滅しないように神の箱をイスラエルに戻してほしいと懇願しました。腫物の災難が広がり、町はどこもかしこも死の恐怖におびえていたからです。 12いのちが助かった者もひどい腫物に悩まされ、至る所で悲痛な叫びが聞かれました。
The ark in Ashdod and Ekron
1After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
6The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumours.5:6 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate tumours. And rats appeared in their land, and there was death and destruction throughout the city 7When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, ‘The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.’ 8So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, ‘What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?’
They answered, ‘Let the ark of the god of Israel be moved to Gath.’ So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
9But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumours.5:9 Or with tumours in the groin (see Septuagint) 10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, ‘They have brought the ark of the god of Israel round to us to kill us and our people.’ 11So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, ‘Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it5:11 Or he will kill us and our people.’ For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. 12Those who did not die were afflicted with tumours, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
