1 KASAMWELI 5

₁Ayithatha amaFilistiya ityesi kaThixo e-Ebhenezere, ayisa eAshdode. ₂Apho afika ayingenisa endlwini yothixo wawo uDagoni, ayimisa ecaleni kwakhe. ₃Ngentsasa elandelayo amaFilistiya afika, tyhini uDagoni uthe qungqululu emhlabeni, ewe ngobuso ngaphambi kwetyesi *kaNdikhoyo! Babuya bammisa kwasendaweni yakhe uDagoni. ₄Kwakhona ngentsasa elandelayo bafike tyhini kwakhona nanko uDagoni equngquluze ngaphambi kwetyesi kaNdikhoyo! Ngoku wayeqhawuke intloko nezandla, zingasemgubasini wendlu leyo, yena uDagoni esele esisibhukubhuku nje. ( ₅Unanamhla oku ababingeleli bakaDagoni, nabani na ongena endlwini kaDagoni eseAshdode, uyawutsiba umgubasi ngenxa yale ntlekele.)

₆UNdikhoyo wabaphatha gadalala abantu baseAshdode neziphaluka zayo. Wabathobela izibetho, wabathuthumbisa ngamathumba. ₇Athi amadoda alapho akuqonda le meko: “Le tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli mayisuke apha phakathi kwethu. Naku esimise kakubi kunye noDagoni uthixo wethu.” ₈Kwabizwa intlanganiso yeenkosi zamaFilistiya, kwabuzwa kuzo kwathiwa: “Nithi mayithiweni na le tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli?”

Zaphendula zathi: “Mayisiwe eGati ityesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli.” Yasiwa apho ke.

₉Nalapho uNdikhoyo wabamisa kakubi abantu, batsho bazizantanta, wabathuthumbisa ngamathumba, omncinci nomdala ngokufanayo. ₁₀Yadluliselwa e-Ekron ityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo.

Yathi isafikanje abantu balapho bakhalaza besithi: “Baze kusibulalisa ngalaa tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli thina nabantu bethu!” ₁₁Abantu balapho babiza iinkosi zamaFilistiya, babhekisa kuzo bathi: “Sincedeni; yisuseni apha kuthi le tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli. Mayibuyele kowayo, hleze isibulale thina nabantu bethu.” Kaloku bonke abantu besixeko babenkwantyisiwe kukufa, kuba uThixo wayebamise kakubi. ₁₂Abantu abangafanga babethuthunjiswa ngamathumba, senyuka isikhalo sesixeko, sada savakala nasezulwini.