< 1 Samuel 5 >

1 Now the Philistines, having taken the ark of God, took it with them from Eben-ezer to Ashdod.
Forsothe Filisteis token the arke of God, and baren awey it fro the stoon of help in to Azotus.
2 They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and put it by the side of Dagon.
And Filisteis tokun the arke of God, and brouyten it to the temple of Dagon, and settiden it bisidis Dagon.
3 And when the people of Ashdod got up early on the morning after, they saw that Dagon had come down to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon up and put him in his place again.
And whanne men of Azotus hadden rise eerli in the todir dai, lo! Dagon lay low in the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord. And thei token Dagon, and restoriden hym in his place.
4 And when they got up early on the morning after, Dagon had come down to the earth on his face before the ark of the Lord; and his head and his hands were broken off on the doorstep; only the base was in its place.
And eft thei risiden eerli in the tothir day, and founden Dagon liggynge on his face on the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord. Forsothe the heed of Dagon, and twei pawmes of his hondis weren kit of on the threisfold;
5 So to this day no priest of Dagon, or any who come into Dagon's house, will put his foot on the doorstep of the house of Dagon in Ashdod.
certis the stok aloone of Dagon lefte in his place. For this cause the preestis of Dagon, and alle that entren in to his temple, treden not on the threisfold of Dagon in Azotus til in to this dai.
6 But the hand of the Lord was hard on the people of Ashdod and he sent disease on them through all the country of Ashdod.
Forsothe the hond of the Lord was maad greuouse on men of Azotus, and he distriede hem, and he smoot Azotus and the coostis therof in the priuyere part of buttokis; and townes and feeldis in the myddis of that cuntrey buyliden out, and myis camen forth; and greet confusioun of deth was maad in the citee.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, Let not the ark of the God of Israel be with us, for his hand is hard on us and on Dagon our god.
Sotheli men of Azotus sien siche a veniaunce, and seiden, The arke of God of Israel dwelle not at vs; for his hond is hard on vs, and on Dagon oure god.
8 So they sent for all the lords of the Philistines to come together there, and said, What are we to do with the ark of the God of Israel? And their answer was, Let the ark of the God of Israel be taken away to Gath. So they took the ark of the God of Israel away.
And thei senten, and gaderiden alle the wise men, `ether princes, of Filisteis `to hem, and seiden, What schulen we do of the arke of God of Israel? And men of Geth answeriden, The arke of God of Israel be led aboute; and thei ledden aboute the arke of God of Israel.
9 But after they had taken it away, the hand of the Lord was stretched out against the town for its destruction: and the signs of disease came out on all the men of the town, small and great.
Forsothe while thei ledden it aboute, the hond of the Lord `of ful greet sleyng was maad on alle citees; and he smoot men of ech citee fro a litil man til to `the more, and the lowere entraylis `of hem wexiden rotun, and camen forth; and men of Geth token counsel, and maden to hem seetis of skynnes, ethir cuyschuns.
10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And when the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of the town made an outcry, saying, They have sent the ark of the God of Israel to us for the destruction of us and of our people.
Therfor thei senten the arke of the Lord in to Accoron. And whanne the arke of the Lord hadde come in to Accoron, men of Accoron crieden, and seiden, Thei han brought to vs the arke of God of Israel, that he sle vs and oure puple.
11 So they sent and got 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 place, so that it may not be the cause of death to us and to our people: for there was a great fear of death through all the town; the hand of God was very hard on them there.
Therfor thei senten, and gaderiden alle the wise men, `ethir princes, of Filisteis; whiche seiden, Delyuere ye the arke of God of Israel, and turne it ayen in to his place, and sle not vs with oure puple.
12 And those men who were not overtaken by death were cruelly diseased: and the cry of the town went up to heaven.
For dreed of deeth was maad in alle citees, and the hond of the Lord was `greuouse greetli. Also the men, that weren not deed, weren smytun in the priuy part of buttokis, and the yelling of ech citee stiede in to heuene.

< 1 Samuel 5 >