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1 AmaFilisti ayithabatha ityeya kaThixo, esuka nayo e-Ebhenezere, aya nayo eAshdode.2 Ayithabatha amaFilisti ityeya kaThixo, aya nayo endlwini kaDagon, ayimisa ecaleni koDagon.3 Bavuka kusasa ngengomso abaseAshdode, nanko uDagon ewile ngobuso emhlabeni phambi kwetyeya kaYehova. Bamthabatha uDagon, babuya bammisa endaweni yakhe.4 Bavuka kusasa ngengomso, nanko uDagon ewile ngobuso emhlabeni phambi kwetyeya kaYehova, intloko kaDagon nezandla zakhe zozibini zinqumkile, zisembundwini womnyango, kusele isikhondo sodwa.5 Ngenxa yoko ababingeleli bakaDagon, nabo bonke abangenayo endlwini kaDagon, abanyatheli embundwini womnyango wendlu kaDagon eAshdode unanamhla.

6 Saba nzima isandla sikaYehova phezu kwabaseAshdode, sabaphanzisa, sababetha ngamathumba, iAshdode ke nemida yayo.7 Akubona amadoda aseAshdode ukuba kunjalo, athi, Ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli mayingahlali kuthi; ngokuba isandla sakhe sinzima phezu kwethu, naphezu koDagon uthixo wethu.8 Athumela ahlanganisela kuwo zonke izikhulu zamaFilisti, athi, Siyithini na ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli? Zathi, Mayijike iye eGati. Ayijika ke ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli.9 Kwathi emveni kokujikwa kwayo, isandla sikaYehova saba phezu kwaloo mzi, sasisaqunge esikhulu kunene; wababulala abantu baloo mzi, kwathabathela kwabancinane kwesa kwabakhulu, bathi gqobhogqobho amathumba.10 Bayithumela ityeya kaThixo e-Ekron. Kwathi, xa ifikayo ityeya kaThixo e-Ekron, bakhala abase-Ekron, besithi, Bayijikele kuthi ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli, ukuba isibulale thina nabantu bakowethu.11 Bathumela, bazihlanganisa zonke izikhulu zamaFilisti, bathi, Yimkiseni ityeya yoThixo kaSirayeli, ibuyele endaweni yayo, ingasibulali thina, nabantu bakowethu; ngokuba ukuqungaqunga kokufa bekukho kuwo wonke umzi, besinzima kunene isandla sikaThixo khona.12 Abantu abangafanga babethwa ngamathumba; kwenyuka kwaya ezulwini ukuzibika komzi.