1 T he Philistines took the special box of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

Na, tera kua riro te aaka a te Atua i nga Pirihitini, kua mauria atu i Epeneetere ki Aharoro.

2 T hey took the special box of God into the house of Dagon, and set it beside Dagon.

Na ka mau nga Pirihitini ki te aaka a te Atua, a kawea ana e ratou ki te whare o Rakono, whakaturia ake ki te taha o Rakono.

3 W hen the Ashdodites got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the special box of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

A, no te marangatanga ake o nga Aharori i te aonga ake, na kua taka, kua tapapa iho a Rakono ki te whenua ki mua i te aaka a Ihowa. Na ka mau ratou ki a Rakono, whakanohoia ake ana e ratou ki tona wahi ano.

4 B ut when they got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground in front of the special box of the Lord. And Dagon’s head and both his hands were cut off and lying in the doorway. Only the body of Dagon was left.

Na, i to ratou marangatanga ake i te ata tonu o tetahi ra, na kua taka a Rakono, kua tapapa ki te whenua ki mua i te aaka a Ihowa; a ko te matenga o Rakono me nga kapu e rua o ona ringa, e takoto mutu ana i runga i te paepae o te tatau; ko te tum utumu anake o Rakono i mahue ki a ia.

5 S o the religious leaders of Dagon and all who go into Dagon’s house do not step on the bottom part of the doorway in Ashdod to this day.

Koia nga tohunga o Rakono me te hunga katoa e haere ana ki te whare o Rakono te takahi ai ki runga ki te paepae o Rakono ki Aharoro, a mohoa noa nei.

6 T he hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites. He filled them with fear and punished them with pain and sores, both Ashdod and its lands.

Ka pehia ia nga Aharori e te ringa o Ihowa, a huna iho ratou e ia; i patua hoki ratou e ia ki te pukupuku, ara a Aharoro me ona rohe.

7 W hen the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The special box of the God of Israel must not stay with us. For His hand is hard on us and on our god Dagon.”

A, no te kitenga o nga tangata o Aharoro i taua meatanga, ka mea ratou, E kore te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira e noho ki a tatou; he uaua mai hoki tona ringa ki a tatou, ki to tatou atua hoki, ki a Rakono.

8 S o they called together all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “What should we do with the special box of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Let the special box of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the box of the God of Israel there.

Heoi ka unga tangata ratou hei huihui i nga rangatira katoa o nga Pirihitini ki a ratou. Na ka mea, Me aha matou ki te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira? A ka mea ratou, Me kawe te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki Kata. Na kawea ana e ratou te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki reira.

9 B ut after they had brought it there, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing much fear. He punished both the young and old men of the city, so that sores broke out upon them.

A, no te kawenga atu, katahi ka pa te ringa o Ihowa ki te pa, nui atu te aitua; i patua hoki e ia nga tangata o te pa, te iti, te rahi, a whakaputaputa ana te pukupuku i runga i a ratou.

10 S o they sent the special box of God to Ekron. When the box of God came to Ekron, the people there cried out, “They have brought the special box of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.”

Na ka tukua e ratou te aaka a te Atua ki Ekerono. A, i te taenga atu te aaka a te Atua ki Ekerono, na ka karanga nga Ekeroni, ka mea, Kua kawea mai e ratou te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira ki a tatou, hei whakamate i a tatou, i to tatou iwi.

11 S o they called together all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “Send away the special box of the God of Israel. Let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For the people of the city were afraid. The hand of God was very heavy there.

Koia ratou ka unga tangata atu, ka huihui i nga rangatira katoa o nga Pirihitini, a ka mea, Unga atu te aaka a te Atua o Iharaira kia whakahokia ki tona wahi, kei whakamatea matou me to matou iwi: he aitua whakamate hoki kei te pa katoa; he pehi rawa te ringa o te Atua ki reira.

12 T he men who did not die were punished with sores, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Na, ko nga tangata kihai i mate, i patua ki te pukupuku, a kake ana te aue o te pa ki te rangi.