1 Ayithatha amaFilistiya ityesi kaThixo e-Ebhenezere, ayisa eAshdode.
2 Apho afika ayingenisa endlwini yothixo wawo uDagoni, ayimisa ecaleni kwakhe.
3 Ngentsasa elandelayo amaFilistiya afika, tyhini uDagoni uthe qungqululu emhlabeni, ewe ngobuso ngaphambi kwetyesi *kaNdikhoyo! Babuya bammisa kwasendaweni yakhe uDagoni.
4 Kwakhona ngentsasa elandelayo bafike tyhini kwakhona nanko uDagoni equngquluze ngaphambi kwetyesi kaNdikhoyo! Ngoku wayeqhawuke intloko nezandla, zingasemgubasini wendlu leyo, yena uDagoni esele esisibhukubhuku nje. (
5 Unanamhla oku ababingeleli bakaDagoni, nabani na ongena endlwini kaDagoni eseAshdode, uyawutsiba umgubasi ngenxa yale ntlekele.)
6 UNdikhoyo wabaphatha gadalala abantu baseAshdode neziphaluka zayo. Wabathobela izibetho, wabathuthumbisa ngamathumba.
7 Athi amadoda alapho akuqonda le meko: “Le tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli mayisuke apha phakathi kwethu. Naku esimise kakubi kunye noDagoni uthixo wethu.”
8 Kwabizwa intlanganiso yeenkosi zamaFilistiya, kwabuzwa kuzo kwathiwa: “Nithi mayithiweni na le tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli?”Zaphendula zathi: “Mayisiwe eGati ityesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli.” Yasiwa apho ke.
9 Nalapho uNdikhoyo wabamisa kakubi abantu, batsho bazizantanta, wabathuthumbisa ngamathumba, omncinci nomdala ngokufanayo.
10 Yadluliselwa e-Ekron ityesi yomnqophiso kaThixo.Yathi isafikanje abantu balapho bakhalaza besithi: “Baze kusibulalisa ngalaa tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli thina nabantu bethu!”
11 Abantu balapho babiza iinkosi zamaFilistiya, babhekisa kuzo bathi: “Sincedeni; yisuseni apha kuthi le tyesi yoThixo wamaSirayeli. Mayibuyele kowayo, hleze isibulale thina nabantu bethu.” Kaloku bonke abantu besixeko babenkwantyisiwe kukufa, kuba uThixo wayebamise kakubi.
12 Abantu abangafanga babethuthunjiswa ngamathumba, senyuka isikhalo sesixeko, sada savakala nasezulwini.