1 T he Philistines took the special box of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

The Philistines brought the ark of God from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

2 T hey took the special box of God into the house of Dagon, and set it beside Dagon.

They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and set it beside Dagon.

3 W hen the Ashdodites got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the special box of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

When they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

4 B ut when they got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground in front of the special box of the Lord. And Dagon’s head and both his hands were cut off and lying in the doorway. Only the body of Dagon was left.

But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had again fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and head and both the palms of his hands were lying cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left him.

5 S o the religious leaders of Dagon and all who go into Dagon’s house do not step on the bottom part of the doorway in Ashdod to this day.

This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 T he hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites. He filled them with fear and punished them with pain and sores, both Ashdod and its lands.

But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He caused very deadly destruction and He smote the people with tumors or boils, both Ashdod and its territory.

7 W hen the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The special box of the God of Israel must not stay with us. For His hand is hard on us and on our god Dagon.”

When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.

8 S o they called together all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “What should we do with the special box of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Let the special box of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the box of the God of Israel there.

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? They answered, Let be carried around to Gath. So they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

9 B ut after they had brought it there, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing much fear. He punished both the young and old men of the city, so that sores broke out upon them.

But after they had carried it to Gath, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing an exceedingly great panic, for He afflicted the people of the city, both small and great, and tumors or boils broke out on them.

10 S o they sent the special box of God to Ekron. When the box of God came to Ekron, the people there cried out, “They have brought the special box of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.”

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as came, the people of Ekron cried out, They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people!

11 S o they called together all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “Send away the special box of the God of Israel. Let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For the people of the city were afraid. The hand of God was very heavy there.

So they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people. For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

12 T he men who did not die were punished with sores, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

The men who had not died were stricken with very painful tumors or boils, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.