5THE PHILISTINES brought the ark of God from Ebenezer to Ashdod.H6430H3947H727H430H935H72H7952They took the ark of God into the house of Dagon and set it beside Dagon [their idol].H6430H3947H727H430H935H1004H1712H3322H681H17123When they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him in his place again.H796H7925H4283H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H3947H1712H7725H4725H77254But when they arose early the next morning, behold, Dagon had again fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord, and [his] head and both the palms of his hands were lying cut off on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left him.H7925H4283H1242H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H7218H1712H8147H3709H3027H3772H4670H1712H76045This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.H3548H1712H935H1712H1004H1869H4670H1712H795H31176But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and He caused [mice to spring up and there was] very deadly destruction and He smote the people with [very painful] tumors {or} boils, both Ashdod and its territory.H3027H3068H3513H796H8074H5221H2914H6076H795H13667When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.H582H795H7200H559H727H430H3478H3427H3027H7185H1712H4308So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let [it] be carried around to Gath. So they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H6213H727H430H3478H559H727H430H3478H5437H1661H5437H727H430H3478H54379But after they had carried it to Gath, the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing an exceedingly great panic [at the deaths from the plague], for He afflicted the people of the city, both small and great, and tumors {or} boils broke out on them.H310H5437H3027H3068H5892H3966H1419H4103H5221H582H5892H6996H1419H2914H6076H836810So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as [it] came, the people of Ekron cried out, They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people!H7971H727H430H6138H727H430H935H6138H6139H2199H559H5437H727H430H3478H4191H597111So they sent and assembled all the lords of the Philistines and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel; let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people. For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H7971H727H430H3478H7725H4725H4191H5971H4194H4103H5892H3027H430H3966H351312The men who had not died were stricken with very painful tumors {or} boils, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.H582H4191H5221H2914H6076H7775H5892H5927H8064