5When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.H6430H3947H727H430H935H72H7952Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.H6430H3947H727H430H935H1004H1712H3322H681H17123And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.H796H7925H4283H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H3947H1712H7725H4725H77254But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.H7925H4283H1242H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H7218H1712H8147H3709H3027H3772H4670H1712H76045This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.H3548H1712H935H1712H1004H1869H4670H1712H795H31176The hand of the LORD was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.H3027H3068H3513H796H8074H5221H2914H6076H795H13667And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god."H582H795H7200H559H727H430H3478H3427H3027H7185H1712H4308So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H6213H727H430H3478H559H727H430H3478H5437H1661H5437H727H430H3478H54379But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out on them.H310H5437H3027H3068H5892H3966H1419H4103H5221H582H5892H6996H1419H2914H6076H836810So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people."H7971H727H430H6138H727H430H935H6138H6139H2199H559H5437H727H430H3478H4191H597111They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H7971H727H430H3478H7725H4725H4191H5971H4194H4103H5892H3027H430H3966H351312The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.H582H4191H5221H2914H6076H7775H5892H5927H8064