1 Samuel 5

1 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

2 carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.

3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.

5 That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

6 Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

7 And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”

8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.

9 But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.

10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!”

11 Then the Ekronites called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was very heavy upon it.

12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

1 ¶ And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon [was] fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [were] cut off upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him.

5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6 ¶ But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, [even] Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that [it was] so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about [thither].

9 And it was [so], that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod,

2 Into the house of Dagon, and set them by the side of Dagon.

3 And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, they found Dagon lying on his face in the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him again in his place.

4 And when they arose early on the morrow, they found Dagon again lying on his face in the earth before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, and his body alone lying thereon.

5 Therefore the priests of Dagon, and all that go into Dagon's house, shall not tread upon the threshold of Dagon at Ashdod unto this day.

6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and destroyed them, and smote Ashdod, and all the coasts thereof, in secret places.

7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us: for his hand is too hard upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8 And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines together, and said: What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they said, Let them of Gath carry about the ark of the God of Israel.

9 And they carried about the ark of the God of Israel. And as they carried it about, there was a very great tumult in the city by the hand of the LORD, and they smote the people of the city, both small and great; and they had a secret plague in secret places.

10 And they sent the ark of the LORD to Ekron. And when the ark of God was come to Ekron, they of Ekron cried out, saying, They have brought the ark of God round about unto me, to slay me and my people.

11 And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send again the ark of the God of Israel unto his place, that it slay me not, nor my people. For the hand of GOD made a very great tumult with strangling in all the city.

12 And those that died not were smitten in secret places, so that the cry of the city went up to heaven.