5The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.H6430H3947H727H430H935H72H7952Then the Philistines took the Ark of God, brought it to the temple of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon.H6430H3947H727H430H935H1004H1712H3322H681H17123When the people of Ashdod got up the next morning, there was Dagon, lying on the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord. They took Dagon and put him back in his place.H796H7925H4283H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H3947H1712H7725H4725H77254But when they got up the next morning, there was Dagon, lying on the ground again in front of the Ark of the Lord. Dagon's head and both of his arms were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left intact.H7925H4283H1242H1712H5307H6440H776H6440H727H3068H7218H1712H8147H3709H3027H3772H4670H1712H76045This is why neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.2H3548H1712H935H1712H1004H1869H4670H1712H795H31176The Lord heavily oppressed the people of Ashdod, devastating and afflicting Ashdod and its territories with tumors of the groin.H3027H3068H3513H796H8074H5221H2914H6076H795H13667When the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "Don't let the Ark of the God of Israel stay with us, because he is severely attacking us and our god Dagon."H582H795H7200H559H727H430H3478H3427H3027H7185H1712H4308They sent messengers and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and asked, "What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?" They said, "Let the Ark of the God of Israel move to Gath." So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H6213H727H430H3478H559H727H430H3478H5437H1661H5437H727H430H3478H54379After they moved it, the Lord moved against the town, causing a very great panic. He struck the men of the town, from young to old with tumors of the groin.H310H5437H3027H3068H5892H3966H1419H4103H5221H582H5892H6996H1419H2914H6076H836810Then they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. When the Ark of God arrived in Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people!"H7971H727H430H6138H727H430H935H6138H6139H2199H559H5437H727H430H3478H4191H597111They sent messengers and gathered together all the Philistine lords: "Send away the Ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to where it belongs so that it does not kill us and our people." Meanwhile, a deadly panic had spread all over the town, and God kept on pressuring them there.H7971H622H5633H6430H559H7971H727H430H3478H7725H4725H4191H5971H4194H4103H5892H3027H430H3966H351312The people who did not die were afflicted with tumors of the groin, and the cry of the town went up to heaven.511H582H4191H5221H2914H6076H7775H5892H5927H8064
