1 Samuel 5

1 After the army of the Philistia people-group captured God’s sacred chest in Ebenezer [town], they took it to Ashdod [which is one of their biggest cities].

Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe he kakai Filisitia ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua, ʻo ʻomi ia mei Epenisa ki ʻAsitoti.

2 They carried it into the temple of [their god] Dagon, and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon.

‌ʻI he maʻu ʻe he kau Filisitia ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua, naʻa nau ʻomi ia ki he fale ʻo Takoni, ʻonau fokotuʻu ia ofi kia Takoni.

3 But early the next morning, when the people of Ashdod [went to see it, they saw that] the statue had fallen on its face in front of Yahweh’s sacred chest! So they set the statue up in its place again.

Pea ʻi he tuʻu hengihengi hake ʻi he ʻapongipongi ʻae kakai ʻo ʻAsitoti, vakai, kuo tō fakafoʻohifo ʻa Takoni ki hono mata ki he kelekele ʻi he ʻao ʻoe puha tapu ʻo Sihova. Pea naʻa nau hiki ʻa Takoni ʻo toe fokotuʻu ia ki hono potu.

4 But the following morning, [they saw that] it had fallen down in front of the sacred chest again. But this time, the statue’s head and hands had broken off, and were lying in the doorway. Only its body remained intact/unbroken.

Pea ʻi heʻenau tuʻu hengihengi hake ʻi he pongipongi ʻe taha, vakai, kuo tuʻulu ʻa Takoni mo hono mata ki he kelekele he ʻao ʻoe puha tapu ʻo Sihova; pea kuo motuua ʻae ʻulu ʻo Takoni, mo hono fasi ʻae nima fakatouʻosi pē ʻi he mata fale: naʻe toe pe kia Takoni ʻa hono foʻi sino pe.

5 That is the reason that since that time, the priests of Dagon and everyone else who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the doorsill [where the hands and head of Dagon fell].

Ko ia ʻoku ʻikai lakalakavale ʻae kau taulaʻeiki ʻo Takoni, pe ha tokotaha ʻoku haʻu ki he fale ʻo Takoni, ki he matafale ʻo Takoni ʻi ʻAsitoti ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni.

6 Then Yahweh [SYN] powerfully caused the people of Ashdod and the people who lived in nearby villages to have (a very great plague/serious illness) of tumors.

Ka naʻe mamafa ʻae nima ʻo Sihova ki he kakai ʻo ʻAsitoti, ʻo ne fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu, ʻo teʻia ʻakinautolu ʻaki ʻae mahaki kovi, ʻio, ʻa ʻAsitoti mo hono ngaahi potu.

7 The men of Ashdod realized why this was happening, and they cried out, “The god of the Israeli people is punishing us and is also punishing our god Dagon. So we cannot allow the sacred chest of the god of the Israelis to remain here!”

Pea ʻi he mamata ʻae kau tangata ʻo ʻAsitoti ʻoku pehē, naʻa nau lea, “ʻE ʻikai tuku ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli: he ʻoku tō mamahi hono nima kiate kitautolu, pea kia Takoni ko hotau ʻotua.”

8 They summoned the five kings of the Philistia people-group, and asked them, “What should we do with the sacred chest of the god of the Israelis?” The kings replied, “Take the sacred chest to Gath [city].” So they moved it to Gath.

Ko ia naʻa nau fekau ʻo tānaki kiate kinautolu ʻae houʻeiki kotoa pē ʻoe kau Filisitia, ʻonau pehē, “Ko e hā te tau fai ki he puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli?” Pea naʻa nau pehē, “Ke haʻamo fano ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli ʻo ʻave ki Kati.” Pea naʻa nau haʻamo fano mei ai ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli.

9 But after they took it to Gath, Yahweh powerfully struck the people of that city also, with the result that many men, including young men and old men, got tumors on their skin. Then the people became very afraid.

Pea naʻe pehē, hili ʻenau haʻamo fano ia, naʻe hoko mālohi ʻae nima ʻo Sihova ki he kolo ʻi he fakaʻauha lahi: pea ne taaʻi ʻae kau tangata ʻoe kolo, ʻae siʻi mo e lahi, pea naʻa nau mahaki kovi ʻi honau potu fufū.

10 So they took the sacred chest to Ekron [city]. But when the men carried the sacred chest into Ekron, the people there cried out, “Why are you bringing the sacred chest of the God of the Israelis into our city [RHQ]? [By doing that] you will cause us and the rest of our people to die!”

Ko ia naʻa nau ʻave ai ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ki Ekiloni. Pea ʻi he hoko ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ki Ekiloni, naʻe tangi ʻae kakai Ekiloni, ʻo pehē, “Kuo nau ʻomi ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli kiate kitautolu, ke tāmateʻi kitautolu mo hotau kakai.”

11 The people were terrified/in panic because [they knew that] God was starting to punish them severely. So they summoned the [five] kings of the Philistia people-group again, and [pleaded with them], saying, “Take this sacred chest of the god of the Israelis back to its own place! If you do not do that quickly, we will all die!”

Ko ia naʻa nau fekau ʻo tānaki ʻae houʻeiki kotoa pē ʻoe kakai Filisitia, ʻonau pehē, “Fekau ke ʻave ʻae puha tapu ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, pea tuku ke ʻalu ia ki hono potu, telia naʻa ne tāmateʻi kitautolu mo hotau kakai:” he naʻe hoko ʻae fakaʻauha lahi ki he potu kotoa pē ʻoe kolo; naʻe mamafa ʻaupito ʻae nima ʻoe ʻOtua ʻi ai.

12 Some of the people in Ekron had already died, and the rest of the people were suffering because of tumors on their skin. So they all cried out to their gods [MTY] [to help them].

Pea ko e kau tangata naʻe ʻikai mate naʻe taaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻaki ʻae mahaki kovi: pea naʻe ʻalu hake ki langi ʻae tangi ʻae kolo.