¹Zvino vaFirisitia vakatora areka yaMwari, vakabva nayo Ebheniezeri, vakaiisa Ashidhodhi,

¹Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.

²VaFirisitia vakatora areka yaMwari vakaiisa mumba maDhagoni, vakaigadzika kurutivi rwaDhagoni.

²And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

³Zvino veAshidhodhi vakati vachimuka mangwanani, onei Dhagoni wawira pasi nechiso pamberi peareka yaJehovha. Vakatora Dhagoni, vakamugadzikazve panzvimbo yake.

³And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

⁴Zvino vakati vachimuka mangwanani, onei Dhagoni wawira pasi nechiso pamberi peareka yaJehovha; nomusoro waDhagoni nezvanza zvamaoko ake ose maviri zvakanga zvavhunika, zviri pachikumbaridzo chomukova; Dhagoni wakange asarirwa nomuviri woga.

⁴And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of Jehovah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [lay] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.

⁵Saka vapristi vaDhagoni, navose vanopinda mumba maDhagoni, havatsiki pachikumbaridzo chaDhagoni paAshidhodhi kusvikira nhasi.

⁵Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.

⁶Asi ruoko rwaJehovha rwakatambudza veAshidhodhi, akavaparadza nokuvarova namamota, ivo veAshidhodhi nenyika yavo.

⁶But the hand of Jehovah was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.

⁷Zvino varume veAshidhodhi vakati vachiona kuti ndizvo zvavanoitirwa, vakati, Areka yaMwari waIsiraeri ngairege kugara pakati pedu; nekuti ruoko rwake runotitambudza isu namwari wedu Dhagoni.

⁷And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

⁸Naizvozvo vakatuma nhume kundounganidza kwavari madzishe ose avaFirisitia, vakati, Tichaita seiko neareka yaMwari waIsiraeri? Vakapindura, vakati, Areka yaMwari waIsiraeri ngaiiswe Gati. Vakaisa areka yaMwari ikoko.

⁸They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel [thither].

⁹Vakati vaiisako, ruoko rwaJehovha rukavhundusa guta nokuvhundusa kukuru; akarova varume veguta, vaduku navakuru, vakapomerwa mamota.

⁹And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Jehovah was against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors brake out upon them.

¹⁰Naizvozvo ivo vakatumira areka yaMwari Ekironi. Zvino areka yaMwari yakati yasvika Ekironi, veEkironi vakachema kwazvo, vakati, Vauya neareka yaMwari waIsiraeri kwatiri, kuzotiuraya, isu navanhu vedu.

¹⁰So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

¹¹Naizvozvo vakatuma nhume kundounganidza madzishe ose avaFirisitia, vakati, Tumai areka yaMwari waIsiraeri, ibve, idzoserwe kunzvimbo yayo, kuti irege kutiuraya, isu navanhu vedu; nekuti guta rose rakanga ravhunduswa nokuvhunduswa korufu; ruoko rwaJehovha rwakavatambudza zvikuru ipapo.

¹¹They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that is slay us not, and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

¹²Varume, vasina kufa, vakarohwa namamota, kuchema kweguta kukakwira kudenga.

¹²And the men that died not were smitten with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.