The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron
1The Philistines had captured the ark of God. They took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2They carried the ark into the temple of their god Dagon. They set it down beside the statue of Dagon. 3The people of Ashdod got up early the next day. They saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. So they picked up the statue of Dagon. They put it back in its place. 4But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple. 5That’s why to this day no one steps on the bottom part of the doorway of Dagon’s temple at Ashdod. Not even the priests of Dagon step there.
6The Lord’s power was against the people of Ashdod and the settlements near it. He destroyed them. He made them suffer with growths in their bodies. 7The people of Ashdod saw what was happening. They said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us. His power is against us and against our god Dagon.” 8So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines. They asked them, “What should we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
The rulers answered, “Have the ark moved to Gath.” So they moved it.
9But after the people of Ashdod had moved the ark, the Lord’s power was against Gath. That threw its people into a great panic. The Lord made them break out with growths in their bodies. It happened to young people and old people alike. 10So the ark of God was sent to Ekron.
As the ark was entering Ekron, the people of the city cried out. They shouted, “They’ve brought the ark of the god of Israel to us. They want to kill us and our people.” 11So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines. They said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away. Let it go back to its own place. If you don’t, it will kill us and our people.” The death of so many people had filled the city with panic. God’s power was against the city. 12Those who didn’t die suffered with growths in their bodies. The people of Ekron cried out to heaven for help.
Àpótí ẹ̀rí Olúwa ní Aṣdodu àti Ekroni
1Lẹ́yìn ìgbà tí àwọn Filistini ti gba àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run lọ, wọ́n gbé e láti Ebeneseri sí Aṣdodu. 2Nígbà tí àwọn Filistini gbé àpótí Ọlọ́run náà lọ sí tẹmpili Dagoni, wọ́n gbé e kalẹ̀ sí ẹ̀bá Dagoni. 3Nígbà tí àwọn ará Aṣdodu jí ní òwúrọ̀ kùtùkùtù ní ọjọ́ kejì, Dagoni ṣubú, ó dojúbolẹ̀ níwájú àpótí Olúwa, wọ́n sì gbé Dagoni, wọ́n tún fi sí ààyè rẹ̀. 4Ṣùgbọ́n ní òwúrọ̀ ọjọ́ kejì nígbà tí wọ́n dìde, Dagoni ṣì wá, ó ṣubú ó dojúbolẹ̀ níwájú àpótí ẹ̀rí Olúwa. Orí àti ọwọ́ rẹ̀ sì ti gé kúrò, ó sì dùbúlẹ̀ ní orí ìloro ẹnu-ọ̀nà, ara rẹ̀ nìkan ni ó kù. 5Ìdí nìyìí títí di òní tí ó fi jẹ́ pé àlùfáà Dagoni tàbí àwọn mìíràn tí ó wọ inú tẹmpili Dagoni ní Aṣdodu fi ń tẹ orí ìloro ẹnu-ọ̀nà.
6Ọwọ́ Olúwa wúwo lára àwọn ènìyàn Aṣdodu àti gbogbo agbègbè rẹ̀: ó mú ìparun wá sórí wọn, ó sì pọ́n wọn lójú pẹ̀lú ààrùn oníkókó. 7Nígbà tí àwọn ọkùnrin Aṣdodu rí ohun tí ó ṣẹlẹ̀, wọ́n wí pé, “Àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run ti Israẹli kò gbọdọ̀ dúró níbí yìí pẹ̀lú wa, nítorí ọwọ́ rẹ̀ wúwo lára wa àti lára Dagoni ọlọ́run wá.” 8Nígbà náà ni wọ́n pè gbogbo àwọn olórí Filistini jọ wọ́n sì bi wọ́n pé, “Kí ni a ó ṣe pẹ̀lú àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run àwọn Israẹli?”
Wọ́n dáhùn pé, “Ẹ jẹ́ kí á gbé àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run àwọn Israẹli lọ sí Gati.” Wọ́n sì gbé àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run Israẹli.
9Ṣùgbọ́n lẹ́yìn ìgbà tí wọ́n ti gbé e, ọwọ́ Olúwa sì wá sí ìlú náà, ó mú jìnnìjìnnì bá wọn. Ó sì pọ́n àwọn ènìyàn ìlú náà lójú, ọmọdé àti àgbà, pẹ̀lú àjàkálẹ̀-ààrùn oníkókó. 10Wọ́n gbé àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run lọ sí Ekroni.
Bí àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run ṣe wọ Ekroni, àwọn ará Ekroni fi igbe ta pé, “Wọ́n ti gbé àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run Israẹli tọ̀ wá wá láti pa wá àti àwọn ènìyàn wa.” 11Nígbà náà ni wọ́n pe gbogbo àwọn olórí àwọn Filistini jọ wọ́n sì wí pé, “Ẹ gbé àpótí ẹ̀rí Ọlọ́run àwọn Israẹli lọ: ẹ jẹ́ kí ó padà sí ààyè rẹ̀, bí bẹ́ẹ̀ kọ́ yóò pa wá àti àwọn ènìyàn wa.” Ikú ti mú jìnnìjìnnì bá àwọn ará ìlú: ọwọ́ Ọlọ́run sì wúwo lára wọn. 12Àwọn tí kò kú wọ́n pọ́n wọn lójú pẹ̀lú ààrùn oníkókó, ẹkún ìlú náà sì gòkè lọ sí ọ̀run.
