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.