1Samuel (5/31)  

1. AmaFilisti asewuthatha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu awususa eEbeni-Ezeri awusa eAshidodi.
2. AmaFilisti asethatha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu, awungenisa endlini kaDagoni, awubeka ngakuDagoni.
3. Kwathi abeAshidodi bevuka kusisa ngovivi, khangela, uDagoni esewile ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini phambi komtshokotsho we Nkosi. Basebemthatha uDagoni, bambuyisela endaweni yakhe.
4. Sebevukile kusisa ekuseni kakhulu, khangela, uDagoni wayesewile ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini phambi komtshokotsho we Nkosi, lekhanda likaDagoni lempama zombili zezandla zakhe kwakuqunyiwe embundwini; kwasala kuye isithombo kuphela.
5. Ngakho abapristi bakaDagoni labo bonke abangena endlini kaDagoni kabanyatheli embundwini kaDagoni eAshidodi kuze kube lamuhla.
6. Kodwa isandla se Nkosi saba nzima phezu kwabeAshidodi, yabachitha, yabatshaya ngamathumba ophayo, iAshidodi lemingcele yayo.
7. Kwathi abantu beAshidodi sebebona ukuthi kunjalo, bathi: Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kawungahlali kithi, ngoba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu laphezu kukaDagoni unkulunkulu wethu.
8. Ngakho bathuma babuthanisa zonke iziphathamandla zamaFilisti kibo, bathi: Sizakwenzani ngomtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli? Zasezisithi: Umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kawubhode uye eGathi. Basebewubhodisa bewusa khona umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.
9. Kwasekusithi sebewubhodise bewuthwele, isandla se Nkosi sasimelene lomuzi ngomonakalo omkhulu kakhulu, yatshaya abantu bomuzi, kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu; kwasekuqhamuka amathumba ophayo kubo.
10. Basebewuthumela umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eEkhironi. Kwasekusithi ekufikeni komtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu eEkhironi, abeEkhironi bakhala besithi: Babhodise baletha umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli kithi ukusibulala labantu bakithi.
11. Ngakho bathuma babuthanisa zonke iziphathamandla zamaFilisti, bathi: Thumani lisuse umtshokotsho kaNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli ukuthi ubuyele endaweni yawo, ukuze ungasibulali labantu bakithi, ngoba kwakulomonakalo wokufa emzini wonke, lesandla sikaNkulunkulu sasinzima kakhulu khona.
12. Labantu abangafanga batshaywa ngamathumba ophayo; lokukhala komuzi kwenyukela emazulwini.

  1Samuel (5/31)