1 Samuel 5

The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. The Philistines took the ark of God into the temple of Dagon and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD. They took Dagon and put him back in his place. When they rose early the following morning, Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD. Dagon’s head and both palms of his hands lay cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s body was left. That is why, to this day, neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone entering Dagon’s temple at Ashdod steps on Dagon’s threshold. The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod. He devastated them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 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.” They sent and gathered all the rulers of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They said, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel. After they had moved it, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing very great panic. He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them. They sent the ark of God to Ekron. When the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to me to kill me and my people!” They sent and gathered all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it return to its place, so that it will not kill me and my people.” For there was deadly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

Rights and attribution