Eyokuqala KaSamuweli
5 Lapho amaFilisti ethatha uMphongolo + kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, awususa e-Ebhenezeri awuyisa e-Ashidodi. 2 AmaFilisti awuthatha uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu weqiniso awufaka endlini* kaDagoni, awubeka eceleni kukaDagoni. + 3 Lapho abase-Ashidodi bevuka ekuseni ngakusasa, uDagoni wayewe phansi ngobuso phambi koMphongolo kaJehova. + Ngakho bamthatha uDagoni bambuyisela endaweni yakhe. + 4 Lapho bevuka ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo, uDagoni wayewe phansi ngobuso phambi koMphongolo kaJehova. Ikhanda likaDagoni nazo zombili izandla zakhe zazinqamukile, ziwele esitubhini. Umzimba* kuphela* owawunganqamukanga. 5 Yingakho bonke abapristi bakaDagoni nabo bonke abangena endlini kaDagoni bengahambi esitubhini sikaDagoni e-Ashidodi kuze kube namuhla.
6 UJehova wabajezisa abase-Ashidodi, wabahlupha ngokushaya i-Ashidodi nezindawo zalo ngemihlume. + 7 Lapho amadoda ase-Ashidodi ebona okwakwenzeka, athi: “Wususeni kithi uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngoba umelane nathi noDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.” 8 Ngakho athumela izithunywa zayobiza wonke amakhosi amaFilisti, athi kuwo: “Sizokwenzenjani ngoMphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli?” Aphendula athi: “Uthatheni uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli niwuyise eGati.” + Ngakho wathathwa uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wayiswa khona.
9 Ngemva kokuwuhambisa lapho, uJehova walijezisa lelo dolobha, walithuthumelisa. Washaya abantu bakulelo dolobha ngemihlume, kusukela komncane kuya komdala. + 10 Ngakho bawuthumela e-Ekroni + uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, kodwa ngokushesha nje lapho ufika e-Ekroni uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, ama-Ekroni aqala ukukhala, ethi: “Bawulethe kithi uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuze thina nabantu bakithi sibulawe!” + 11 Ngakho bathumela izithunywa zalanda wonke amakhosi amaFilisti bathi: “Hambisani uMphongolo kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli; mawubuyele endaweni yawo ukuze thina nabantu bakithi singabulawa.” Ngoba bonke abantu bakulelo dolobha babesaba ukuthi bangase bafe; uNkulunkulu weqiniso wayebajezise kakhulu, + 12 abantu abangafanga babeshaywe ngemihlume. Isililo sedolobha senyukela emazulwini.