1Sa 5 | NdeIBE | STEP | Emva kokuba amaFilisti esethumbe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, alithatha e-Ebhenezeri alisa e-Ashidodi.

1 Samuel 5

Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu e-Ashidodi kanye le-Ekhroni

1 Emva kokuba amaFilisti esethumbe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, alithatha e-Ebhenezeri alisa e-Ashidodi. 2 Aphinda alithwala alisa ethempelini likaDagoni. 3 Kwathi abantu base-Ashidodi bevuka ekuseni kakhulu okwalandelayo, nango uDagoni, ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova! Bamthatha uDagoni bambeka endaweni yakhe. 4 Kodwa ngakusasa ekuseni bathi bevuka, nango uDagoni, ewele phansi ngobuso phambi kwebhokisi lesivumelwano sikaJehova! Ikhanda lakhe lezandla kwakugumukile kuthe qekele eduze lomnyango; kwakusele umzimba wakhe kuphela.

5 Ngalokho-ke kuze kube lamhla abaphristi bakaDagoni labanye nje abangena ethempelini likaDagoni kabanyatheli ekuqaliseni komnyango.

6 Isandla sikaJehova sasinzima phezu kwabantu base-Ashidodi laseduze kwayo; wehlisela incithakalo phezu kwabo yabahlupha langamathumba. 7 Kwathi abantu base-Ashidodi bebona okwakusenzakala, bathi, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli akumelanga lihlale lathi lapha, ngoba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu laphezu kukaDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.” 8 Ngakho babiza bonke ababusi bamaFilisti bababuza bathi, “Sizakwenzani ngebhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli na?” Baphendula bathi, “Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli liseni eGathi.” Ngakho ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu balisa eGathi.

9 Kodwa kwathi sebelihambisile, isandla sikaJehova samelana lalelodolobho, okwenza kwaba lokuthuthumela okukhulu kulo. Wahlupha abantu bedolobho lelo, abatsha labadala, ngokuphihlika kwamathumba. 10 Ngakho ibhokisi lesivumelwalo sikaNkulunkulu lasiwa e-Ekhroni. Kwathi ibhokisi lesivumelano sikaNkulunkulu lifika e-Ekhroni, abantu base-Ekhroni bakhala besithi, “Sebelethe ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankululunkulu ka-Israyeli kithi lapha ukuzasibulala kanye labantu bakithi.” 11 Ngakho babiza bonke ababusi bamaFilisti, bathi, “Susani ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikankulunkulu ka-Israyeli; kalibuyele emuva endaweni yalo, hlezi lisibulale thina kanye labantu bakithi.” Ngoba ukufa kwakwenze kwaba lokuthuthumela edolobheni; isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu phezu kwalo. 12 Abangafanga babehlutshwa ngamathumba, njalo umkhosi wedolobho waya phezulu ezulwini.