Chapter 5

And the Philistines took¹ the ark of God, and brought⁵⁵ it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

When the Philistines took⁴ the ark of God, they brought⁵⁵ it into the house of Dagon, and set⁵⁵ it by Dagon.

And when they of Ashdod arose early⁵⁵ on the morrow, behold, Dagon [was] fallen⁶ upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took⁴ Dagon, and set him in his place again.⁵⁵

And when they arose early⁵⁵ on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon [was] fallen⁶ 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 off⁷ upon the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left⁸ to him.

Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come⁶ into Dagon's house, tread⁴ on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

But the hand of the LORD was heavy⁴ upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed⁵⁵ them, and smote⁵⁵ them with emerods, ⁶⁰⁷⁶ [even] Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

And when the men of Ashdod saw⁴ that [it was] so, they said,¹ The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide⁴ with us: for his hand is sore¹ upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

They sent⁴ therefore and gathered⁴ all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said,⁴ What shall we do⁴ with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered,⁴ Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about¹¹ unto Gath. And they carried⁵⁵ the ark of the God of Israel about [thither].

And it was [so], that, after they had carried it about,⁵² the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote⁵⁵ the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods ⁶⁰⁷⁶ in their secret parts.¹¹

Therefore they sent¹⁷ the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came² to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out,⁴ saying,² They have brought about⁵² the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay⁵³ us and our people.

So they sent⁴ and gathered⁴ together all the lords of the Philistines, and said,⁴ Send away¹⁶ the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again⁴ to his own place, that it slay⁵⁵ us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy¹ there.

And the men that died¹ not were smitten⁹⁰ with the emerods: ⁶⁰⁷⁶ and the cry of the city went up⁴ to heaven.