1 Samuel 5

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

Then the Philistines took the ark of God, and they transported it from the Stone of Assistance into Ashdod.

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

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it into the temple of Dagon. And they stationed it beside Dagon.

3 And the Ashdodites rose early on the next day, and look, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of YHWH. So they raised up Dagon and set him in his place again.

And when the Ashdodites had risen up at first light on the next day, behold, Dagon was lying prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and they set him again in his place.

4 And it happened when they arose early the next morning, look, Dagon had fallen on his face before the ark of YHWH; 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 again, on the next day, rising up in the morning, they found Dagon lying on his face upon the ground, before the ark of the Lord. But the head of Dagon, and both palms of his hands had been cut off upon the threshold.

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.

Moreover, only the trunk of Dagon remained in its place. For this reason, the priests of Dagon, and all who enter his temple, do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, even to this day.

6 But the hand of YHWH was heavy on the Ashdodites, and he ravaged them and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. And he brought up against them mice, and they burst out in their ships, and mice sprang up in the midst of their land, and there was a great terror of death in the city.

Now the hand of the Lord weighed heavily upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them. And he struck Ashdod and its borders at the inner part of the buttocks. And in the villages and fields, in the midst of that region, mice rose up and burst forth. And this caused a great tumult unto death in the city.

7 When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, 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."

Then the men of Ashdod, seeing this kind of plague, said: “The ark of the God of Israel shall not remain with us. For his hand is harsh, over us and over Dagon, our god.”

8 So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" Then the Gittites answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried over to us." So they brought the ark of God to Gath.

And sending, they gathered together all the princes of the Philistines to them, and they said, “What shall we do about the ark of the God of Israel?” And the Gathites responded, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be led around.” And they led the ark of the God of Israel around.

9 And it happened after they had brought it around, the hand of YHWH 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.

And as they were carrying it around, the hand of the Lord fell upon every single city with an exceedingly great slaughter. And he struck down the men of each and every city, from the small even to the great. And cysts were festering at their buttocks. And the Gathites took counsel, and they made for themselves seat covers from pelts.

10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "Why have you brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people?"

Therefore, they sent the ark of God into Ekron. And when the ark of God had arrived at Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, so that it may kill us and our people!”

11 And they sent 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, so that it will not kill us and our people." For there was a very heavy terror of death throughout all the city when the ark of God arrived there.

And so they sent and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and they said: “Release the ark of the God of Israel, and return it to its own place. And let it not kill us, with our people.”

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

For the fear of death fell upon every single city, and the hand of God was very heavy. Also, the men who did not die were being afflicted in the inner part of the buttocks. And the wailing of each city was ascending to heaven.