5After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod.H6430H3947H727H430H935H72H7952They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon.H6430H3947H727H430H935H1004H1712H3322H681H17123But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the LORD! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again.H796H7925H4283H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H3947H1712H7725H4725H77254But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the LORD again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact.H7925H4283H1242H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H7218H1712H8147H3709H3027H3772H4670H1712H76045That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.H3548H1712H935H1712H1004H1869H4670H1712H795H31176Then the LORD's heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.H3027H3068H3513H796H8074H5221H2914H6076H795H13667When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, "We can't keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god."H582H795H7200H559H727H430H3478H3427H3027H7185H1712H4308So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, "What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?" The rulers discussed it and replied, "Move it to the town of Gath." So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H6213H727H430H3478H559H727H430H3478H5437H1661H5437H727H430H3478H54379But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the LORD's heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.H310H5437H3027H3068H5892H3966H1419H4103H5221H582H5892H6996H1419H2914H6076H836810So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, "They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!"H7971H727H430H6138H727H430H935H6138H6139H2199H559H5437H727H430H3478H4191H597111The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, "Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it will kill us all." For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H7971H727H430H3478H7725H4725H4191H5971H4194H4103H5892H3027H430H3966H351312Those who didn't die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.H582H4191H5221H2914H6076H7775H5892H5927H8064
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