5After the Philistines captured the Covenant Box, they carried it from Ebenezer to their city of Ashdod,H6430H3947H727H430H935H72H7952took it into the temple of their god Dagon, and set it up beside his statue.H6430H3947H727H430H935H1004H1712H3322H681H17123Early the next morning the people of Ashdod saw that the statue of Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground in front of the LORD's Covenant Box. So they lifted it up and put it back in its place.H796H7925H4283H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H3947H1712H7725H4725H77254Early the following morning they saw that the statue had again fallen down in front of the Covenant Box. This time its head and both its arms were broken off and were lying in the doorway; only the body was left.H7925H4283H1242H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H7218H1712H8147H3709H3027H3772H4670H1712H76045(That is why even today the priests of Dagon and all his worshipers in Ashdod step over that place and do not walk on it.)H3548H1712H935H1712H1004H1869H4670H1712H795H31176The LORD punished the people of Ashdod severely and terrified them. He punished them and the people in the surrounding territory by causing them to have tumors.H3027H3068H3513H796H8074H5221H2914H6076H795H13667When they saw what was happening, they said, "The God of Israel is punishing us and our god Dagon. We can't let the Covenant Box stay here any longer."H582H795H7200H559H727H430H3478H3427H3027H7185H1712H4308So they sent messengers and called together all five of the Philistine kings and asked them, "What shall we do with the Covenant Box of the God of Israel?" "Take it over to Gath," they answered; so they took it to Gath, another Philistine city.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H6213H727H430H3478H559H727H430H3478H5437H1661H5437H727H430H3478H54379But after it arrived there, the LORD punished that city too and caused a great panic. He punished them with tumors which developed in all the people of the city, young and old alike.H310H5437H3027H3068H5892H3966H1419H4103H5221H582H5892H6996H1419H2914H6076H836810So they sent the Covenant Box to Ekron, another Philistine city; but when it arrived there, the people cried out, "They have brought the Covenant Box of the God of Israel here, in order to kill us all!"H7971H727H430H6138H727H430H935H6138H6139H2199H559H5437H727H430H3478H4191H597111So again they sent for all the Philistine kings and said, "Send the Covenant Box of Israel back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our families." There was panic throughout the city because God was punishing them so severely.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H7971H727H430H3478H7725H4725H4191H5971H4194H4103H5892H3027H430H3966H351312Even those who did not die developed tumors and the people cried out to their gods for help.H582H4191H5221H2914H6076H7775H5892H5927H8064
Unknown
