1 Samuel Chapter 5

1 Samuel Chapter 5
1 Then the Philistines took the ark of
God and carried it from Eben-ezer unto
Ashdod,
2 Even the Philistines took the ark of
God, and brought it into the house of
Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod rose the next
day in the morning, behold, Dagon was
fallen upon his face on the ground before
the ark of the Lord, and they took up
Dagon, and set him in his place again.
4 Also they rose up early in the morning
the next day, and behold, Dagon was
fallen upon his face on the ground before
the ark of the Lord, and the head of
Dagon and the two palms of his hands
were cut off upon the threshold: only the
stump of Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore the priests of Dagon, and all
that come into Dagon's house tread not
on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod,
unto this day.
6 But the hand of the Lord was heavy
upon them of Ashdod, and destroyed
them, and smote them with the emerods ,
both Ashdod, and the coasts thereof.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw this,
they said, Let not the ark of the God of
Israel abide with us: for his hand is sore
upon us and upon Dagon our god. 8 They
sent therefore and gathered all the
princes of the Philistines unto them, and
said, What shall we do with the ark of
the God of Israel? And they answered,
Let the ark of the God of Israel be
carried about unto Gath: and they carried
the ark of the God of Israel about.
9 And when they had carried it about,
the hand of the Lord 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 Therefore they sent the ark of God to
Ekron: and as soon as the ark of God
came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out,
saying, They have brought the ark of the
God of Israel to us to slay us and our
people.
11 Therefore they sent, and gathered
together all the princes of the Philistines
and said, Send away the ark of the God
of Israel, and let it return to his own
place, that it slay us not and our people:
for there was a destruction and death
throughout all the city, and the hand of
God was very sore there. 12 And the
men that died not, were smitten with the
emerods: and the cry of the city went up
to heaven.