1 Samuel 5

5 ¹ The Philistines had captured the ark of our Father, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ² Then the Philistines took the ark of our Father, brought it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside Dagon.

³ When the people of Ashdod rose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen face-down on the ground before the ark of our Father. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place.

⁴ But when they rose early the next morning, there lay Dagon again, fallen face-down on the ground before the ark of our Father. This time his head and both his hands had been broken off, lying on the threshold; only Dagon's body remained. ⁵ That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold of Dagon.

⁶ The hand of our Father pressed heavily on the people of Ashdod. He devastated them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its surrounding territory. ⁷ When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god."

⁸ So they summoned all the Philistine rulers to them and asked, "What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" "Move the ark of the God of Israel to Gath," they answered. So they moved the ark of the God of Israel there.

⁹ But after they had moved it, the hand of our Father came against that city too, causing a very great panic. He struck the people of the city, young and old alike, and tumors broke out on them.

¹⁰ So they sent the ark of our Father to Ekron. But as it arrived, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people!"

¹¹ So they summoned all the Philistine rulers and said, "Send the ark of the God of Israel away; let it return to its own place, so it will not kill us and our people." For a deadly panic had gripped the whole city; the hand of our Father lay very heavy there.

¹² The people who did not die were struck with tumors, and the city's cry for help went up to heaven.