1 Samuel 5

1 Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

And the Philistines took the ark of Elohim, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.

2 The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

When the Philistines took the ark of Elohim, they 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 Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again.

And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of YHWH. And 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 Yahweh’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.

And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of YHWH; 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 who come into Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

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 Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.

But the hand of YHWH was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

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.”

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

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.

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

9 It was so, that after they had carried it there, Yahweh’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 tumors broke out on them.

And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of YHWH 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 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.”

Therefore they sent the ark of Elohim to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of Elohim came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the Elohim 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 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.

So they sent and gathered together all rulers of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the Elohim 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 Elohim was very heavy there.

12 The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

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