1Sam 5
1
Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer unto
Ashdod.
2
And the Philistines took the ark of God, and 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 ground 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 lay cut off upon the threshold; only the trunk 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 borders 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 discomfiture; and He smote the men of the city, both small
and great, and emerods broke out upon them.
10
So 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
They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they
said: 'Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place,
that it slay us not, and our people'; for there was a deadly discomfiture 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.