Chapter 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 tumours, 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 tumours 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 tumours; and the cry of the city went up to heaven .