صَمُوئِيلَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ 5

١ 1 فَأَخَذَ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ تَابُوتَ ٱللهِ وَأتَوْا بِهِ مِنْ حَجَرِ ٱلْمَعُونَةِ إِلَى أَشْدُودَ.

Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

٢ 2 وَأَخَذَ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ تَابُوتَ ٱللهِ وَأَدْخَلُوهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ دَاجُونَ، وَأَقَامُوهُ بِقُرْبِ دَاجُونَ.

The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

٣ 3 وَبَكَّرَ ٱلْأَشْدُودِيُّونَ فِي ٱلْغَدِ وَإِذَا بِدَاجُونَ سَاقِطٌ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَمَامَ تَابُوتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، فَأَخَذُوا دَاجُونَ وَأَقَامُوهُ فِي مَكَانِهِ.

When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.

٤ 4 وَبَكَّرُوا صَبَاحًا فِي ٱلْغَدِ وَإِذَا بِدَاجُونَ سَاقِطٌ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ أَمَامَ تَابُوتِ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَرَأْسُ دَاجُونَ وَيَدَاهُ مَقْطُوعَةٌ عَلَى ٱلْعَتَبَةِ. بَقِيَ بَدَنُ ٱلسَّمَكَةِ فَقَطْ.

When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the LORD’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact.

٥ 5 لِذَلِكَ لَا يَدُوسُ كَهَنَةُ دَاجُونَ وَجَمِيعُ ٱلدَّاخِلِينَ إِلَى بَيْتِ دَاجُونَ عَلَى عَتَبَةِ دَاجُونَ فِي أَشْدُودَ إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْيَوْمِ.

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

٦ 6 فَثَقُلَتْ يَدُ ٱلرَّبِّ عَلَى ٱلْأَشْدُودِيِّينَ، وَأَخْرَبَهُمْ وَضَرَبَهُمْ بِٱلْبَوَاسِيرِ فِي أَشْدُودَ وَتُخُومِهَا.

But the LORD’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumours, even Ashdod and its borders.

٧ 7 وَلَمَّا رَأَى أَهْلُ أَشْدُودَ ٱلْأَمْرَ كَذَلِكَ قَالُوا: «لَا يَمْكُثُ تَابُوتُ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ عِنْدَنَا لِأَنَّ يَدَهُ قَدْ قَسَتْ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى دَاجُونَ إِلَهِنَا».

When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.”

٨ 8 فَأَرْسَلُوا وَجَمَعُوا جَمِيعَ أَقْطَابِ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَقَالُوا: «مَاذَا نَصْنَعُ بِتَابُوتِ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ؟» فَقَالُوا: «لِيُنْقَلْ تَابُوتُ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى جَتَّ». فَنَقَلُوا تَابُوتَ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

٩ 9 وَكَانَ بَعْدَمَا نَقَلُوهُ أَنَّ يَدَ ٱلرَّبِّ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ بِٱضْطِرَابٍ عَظِيمٍ جِدًّا، وَضَرَبَ أَهْلَ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ مِنَ ٱلصَّغِيرِ إِلَى ٱلْكَبِيرِ، وَنَفَرَتْ لَهُمُ ٱلْبَوَاسِيرُ.

It was so, that after they had carried it there, the LORD’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumours broke out on them.

١٠ 10 فَأَرْسَلُوا تَابُوتَ ٱللهِ إِلَى عَقْرُونَ. وَكَانَ لَمَّا دَخَلَ تَابُوتُ ٱللهِ إِلَى عَقْرُونَ أَنَّهُ صَرَخَ ٱلْعَقْرُونِيُّونَ قَائِلِينَ: «قَدْ نَقَلُوا إِلَيْنَا تَابُوتَ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِكَيْ يُمِيتُونَا نَحْنُ وَشَعْبَنَا».

So they sent God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, to kill us and our people.”

١١ 11 وَأَرْسَلُوا وَجَمَعُوا كُلَّ أَقْطَابِ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ وَقَالُوا: «أَرْسِلُوا تَابُوتَ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ فَيَرْجِعَ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ وَلَا يُمِيتَنَا نَحْنُ وَشَعْبَنَا». لِأَنَّ ٱضْطِرَابَ ٱلْمَوْتِ كَانَ فِي كُلِّ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ. يَدُ ٱللهِ كَانَتْ ثَقِيلَةً جِدًّا هُنَاكَ.

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

١٢ 12 وَٱلنَّاسُ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يَمُوتُوا ضُرِبُوا بِٱلْبَوَاسِيرِ، فَصَعِدَ صُرَاخُ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاءِ.

The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumours; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.