The First Book of Samuel (WEB)
5:1 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod.
5:2The Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
5:3When they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the
ground before the ark of Yahweh. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 5:4When they
arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before
the ark of Yahweh; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off on the
threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5:5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor
any who come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day. 5:6But
the hand of Yahweh was heavy on them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with
tumors, even Ashdod and the borders of it. 5:7When 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 on us, and on Dagon
our god. 5:8They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, 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 about to Gath. They carried the ark of the God of Israel there. 5:9It was so, that after they
had carried it about, the hand of Yahweh was against the city with a very great confusion: and he
struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them. 5:10So they sent the
ark of God to Ekron. It happened, 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 kill us and our people.
5:11They 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 again to its own place, that it not kill us and our
people. For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy
there. 5:12The men who didn't die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to
heaven.
World English Bible