5
1 Now
the Philistines
had taken God’s ark,
and they brought
it from Ebenezer
to Ashdod.
2 The
Philistines took God’s ark,
and brought it
into the house
of Dagon and
set it by
Dagon.
3 When
the people of Ashdod
arose early on
the next day,
behold, Dagon had
fallen on his
face to the
ground before the
LORD’s ark. They
took Dagon and
set him in
his place again.
4 When
they arose early
on the following
morning, behold,
Dagon had fallen
on his face
to the ground
before the LORD’s
ark; and the head
of Dagon and
both the palms
of his hands
were cut off
on the threshold.
Only Dagon’s torso
was intact.
5 Therefore
neither the
priests of Dagon
nor any who
come into Dagon’s
house step on the
threshold of Dagon
in Ashdod to this
day.
6 But
the LORD’s hand
was heavy on
the people of Ashdod,
and he destroyed
them and struck
them with tumors,
even Ashdod and
its borders.
7 When
the men of Ashdod
saw that it
was so, they
said, “The ark of
the God of
Israel shall not
stay with us,
for his hand
is severe on
us and on
Dagon our god.”
8 They
sent therefore and
gathered together all
the lords of
the Philistines,
and said, “What
shall we do
with the ark of
the God of
Israel?”
They answered, “Let
the ark of the
God of Israel
be carried over
to Gath.” They
carried the ark of
the God of
Israel there.
9 It
was so, that
after they had
carried it there,
the LORD’s hand
was against the
city with a
very great
confusion; and he
struck the men
of the city, both
small and great,
so that tumors
broke out on
them.
10 So
they sent God’s ark
to Ekron.
As God’s ark came
to Ekron, the
Ekronites cried
out, saying, “They
have brought
the ark of the
God of Israel
here to us,
to kill us
and our people.”
11 They
sent therefore and
gathered together
all the lords
of the Philistines,
and they said, “Send
the ark of the
God of Israel
away, and let
it go again
to its own
place, that it
not kill us
and our people.”
For there was
a deadly panic
throughout all the
city. The hand
of God was
very heavy there.
12 The men
who didn’t die
were struck with
the tumors; and
the cry of
the city went
up to heaven.