The Covenant Box among the Philistines
1 After the Philistines captured the Covenant Box, they carried it from Ebenezer to their city of Ashdod, 2 took it into the temple of their god Dagon, and set it up beside his statue. 3 Early the next morning the people of Ashdod saw that the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground in front of the Lord's Covenant Box. So they lifted it up and put it back in its place. 4 Early the following morning they saw that the statue had again fallen down in front of the Covenant Box. This time its head and both its arms were broken off and were lying in the doorway; only the body was left. ( 5 That is why even today the priests of Dagon and all his worshipers in Ashdod step over that place and do not walk on it.)
6 The Lord punished the people of Ashdod severely and terrified them. He punished them and the people in the surrounding territory by causing them to have tumors. 7 When they saw what was happening, they said, “The God of Israel is punishing us and our god Dagon. We can't let the Covenant Box stay here any longer.” 8 So they sent messengers and called together all five of the Philistine kings and asked them, “What shall we do with the Covenant Box of the God of Israel?”
“Take it over to Gath,” they answered; so they took it to Gath, another Philistine city. 9 But after it arrived there, the Lord punished that city too and caused a great panic. He punished them with tumors which developed in all the people of the city, young and old alike. 10 So they sent the Covenant Box to Ekron, another Philistine city; but when it arrived there, the people cried out, “They have brought the Covenant Box of the God of Israel here, in order to kill us all!” 11 So again they sent for all the Philistine kings and said, “Send the Covenant Box of Israel back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our families.” There was panic throughout the city because God was punishing them so severely. 12 Even those who did not die developed tumors and the people cried out to their gods for help.
Kambeŋ Kunewo be Filisitinkoolu la bankoo kaŋ
1 Kabiriŋ Filisitinkoolu ye Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo* taa, ì ye a bondi Ebenesa, ì ye a samba Asidodi. 2 Ì ye Kambeŋ Kunewo samba jalaŋ Dakoni la buŋo le to, ì ye a londi Dakoni daala. 3 Kabiriŋ Asidodinkoolu wulita wo saamoo, ì taata jalaŋ Dakoni la buŋo kono, ì ye a tara, Dakoni be boyiriŋ a ñaadaa kaŋ bankoo to Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo ñaatiliŋo la. Ì ye Dakoni sika, ì ye a ke a la dulaa to. 4 Bari wo saamoo soomandaa kabiriŋ ì wulita, ì ye a tara Dakoni be boyiriŋ a ñaadaa kaŋ bankoo to Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo ñaatiliŋo la kotenke. A kuŋo niŋ a buloolu bee kunturiŋo be laariŋ bundaa kuŋo to, a baloo dammaa le tuta jee. 5 Wo le ye a tinna fo bii, Dakoni la piriisoolu* waraŋ moo koteŋolu, mennu ka duŋ Dakoni la buŋo to Asidodi, buka ì siŋo loo ñiŋ bundaa kuŋo to.
6 Yaawe* ye Asidodinkoolu niŋ a dandanna saatewolu yankankati le. A ye kijafaroo niŋ yankankatoo jindi ì kaŋ niŋ maadiŋolu le la. 7 Kabiriŋ kewolu mennu be Asidodi, ye a je meŋ be ke kaŋ, ì ko, “Banisirayilankoolu la Alla la ñiŋ Kambeŋ Kunewo maŋ ñaŋ na tu la ntolu bulu, kaatu a la yankankatoo warata ntolu niŋ ǹ na alla Dakoni kaŋ ne.” 8 Bituŋ ì ye Filisitinkoolu la maralilaalu bee kumandi, ì ye ì ñininkaa ko, “Ǹ ñanta muŋ ne ke la Banisirayilankoolu la Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo la?” Ì ye ì jaabi ko, “Ali Banisirayilankoolu la Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo sawundi naŋ Kati.” Bituŋ ì ye a sawundi. 9 Bari kabiriŋ ì ye a sawundi, Yaawe ye wo saatee moolu fanaa yankankati le, kaatu a ye silaŋ baa le naati ì kaŋ. A ye saatee moolu mantoora niŋ maadiŋolu le la ka bo dindiŋ fo keebaa. 10 Bituŋ ì ye Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo kii Ekironi. Kabiriŋ Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo be duŋ kaŋ Ekironi, Ekironinkoolu kumboota baake ko, “Ì ye Banisirayilankoolu la Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo samba naŋ ne fo ì si ǹ niŋ ǹ na moolu faa.” 11 Bituŋ ì ye Filisitinkoolu la maralilaalu bee kumandi, aduŋ ì ko, “Ali Banisirayilankoolu la Alla la Kambeŋ Kunewo seyindi, a ye muruŋ a la dulaa to, niŋ wo nte a be ntolu niŋ ǹ na moolu faa la le.” Kaatu saayaa kijafaroo le tarata faariŋ saatewo kono. Alla la yankankatoo warata a kaŋ ne. 12 Moolu mennu maŋ faa, a ye wolu yankankati niŋ maadiŋolu le la, aduŋ saatee moolu la kumboo kaŋo taata le fo ì la allañolu yaa, fo ì si ì maakoyi.
