1 Hamuera 5
1 Na, tera kua riro te aaka a te Atua i nga Pirihitini, kua mauria atu i Epeneetere ki Aharoro.
After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 Na ka mau nga Pirihitini ki te aaka a te Atua, a kawea ana e ratou ki te whare o Rakono, whakaturia ake ki te taha o Rakono.
They brought the Ark of God into the Temple of Dagon and placed it next to Dagon.
3 A, no te marangatanga ake o nga Aharori i te aonga ake, na kua taka, kua tapapa iho a Rakono ki te whenua ki mua i te aaka a Ihowa. Na ka mau ratou ki a Rakono, whakanohoia ake ana e ratou ki tona wahi ano.
When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, they saw Dagon had fallen on his face in front of the Ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back up.
4 Na, i to ratou marangatanga ake i te ata tonu o tetahi ra, na kua taka a Rakono, kua tapapa ki te whenua ki mua i te aaka a Ihowa; a ko te matenga o Rakono me nga kapu e rua o ona ringa, e takoto mutu ana i runga i te paepae o te tatau; ko te tum utumu anake o Rakono i mahue ki a ia.
When they got up early the next morning, they saw Dagon had fallen on his face in front of the Ark of the Lord, with his head and hands broken off lying on the doorstep. Only his body remained intact.
5 Koia nga tohunga o Rakono me te hunga katoa e haere ana ki te whare o Rakono te takahi ai ki runga ki te paepae o Rakono ki Aharoro, a mohoa noa nei.
(That's why the priests of Dagon, and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod, don't tread on the doorstep, even up to now.)
6 Ka pehia ia nga Aharori e te ringa o Ihowa, a huna iho ratou e ia; i patua hoki ratou e ia ki te pukupuku, ara a Aharoro me ona rohe.
The Lord punished the people of Ashdod and its surrounding area, devastating them and plaguing them with swellings.
7 A, no te kitenga o nga tangata o Aharoro i taua meatanga, ka mea ratou, E kore te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira e noho ki a tatou; he uaua mai hoki tona ringa ki a tatou, ki to tatou atua hoki, ki a Rakono.
When the people of Ashdod saw what was going on, they said, “We can't let the Ark of the God of Israel remain here with us, because he is punishing us and Dagon our god.”
8 Heoi ka unga tangata ratou hei huihui i nga rangatira katoa o nga Pirihitini ki a ratou. Na ka mea, Me aha matou ki te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira? A ka mea ratou, Me kawe te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki Kata. Na kawea ana e ratou te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki reira.
So they sent for all the Philistine rulers and asked them, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” “Take the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath,” they replied. So they moved it to Gath.
9 A, no te kawenga atu, katahi ka pa te ringa o Ihowa ki te pa, nui atu te aitua; i patua hoki e ia nga tangata o te pa, te iti, te rahi, a whakaputaputa ana te pukupuku i runga i a ratou.
But once they'd moved the Ark to Gath, the Lord also took action against that town, throwing it into great confusion and attacking the people of the town, young and old, with a plague of swellings.
10 Na ka tukua e ratou te aaka a te Atua ki Ekerono. A, i te taenga atu te aaka a te Atua ki Ekerono, na ka karanga nga Ekeroni, ka mea, Kua kawea mai e ratou te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki a tatou, hei whakamate i a tatou, i to tatou iwi.
So they sent the Ark of God to Ekron, but as soon as it arrived, the leaders of Ekron shouted, “They've moved the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us and our people!”
11 Koia ratou ka unga tangata atu, ka huihui i nga rangatira katoa o nga Pirihitini, a ka mea, Unga atu te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira kia whakahokia ki tona wahi, kei whakamatea matou me to matou iwi: he aitua whakamate hoki kei te pa katoa; he pehi rawa te ringa o te Atua ki reira.
So they sent for all the Philistine rulers and said, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, back to where it came from, otherwise it's going to kill us and our people.” People were dying throughout the town, creating terrible panic, for God's punishment was very hard.
12 Na, ko nga tangata kihai i mate, i patua ki te pukupuku, a kake ana te aue o te pa ki te rangi.
Those who didn't die were plagued with swellings, and the cry for help from the town reached up to heaven.
