1 After they had taken the ark of God, the Philistines carried it from Ebe nezer to Ashdod.
2 There they brought it into the temple of Dagon and set it up beside him.
3 Rising up early the following day, the people saw that Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. So they picked up Dagon and put him back in his place.
4 But when they rose the following morning, the people saw Dagon on the ground again, face downward before the ark of Yahweh. His head and hands were broken off and lay at the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left where he fell.
5 This is why the priests of Dagon and his worshipers do not tread on the threshold of his temple in Ashdod up to this day.
6 The hand of Yahweh was heavy upon the people of Ashdod. Yahweh afflicted the people of Ashdod and its vicinity with hemorrhoids.
7 Seeing this, the people of Ashdod said, “Let the ark of the God of Israel not remain with us. His hand is heavy on us and on Dagon, our god.”
8 So they had all the chiefs of the Phi lis tine cities gathered together to ask them, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there.
9 But as soon as they had brought it to Gath, Yahweh raised his hand against the city, causing a very great panic. He afflicted the people there, both young and old, with hemorrhoids.
10 So they moved the ark of God to Ekron. But when the ark entered Ekron, the people there cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel to slay us all.”
11 So they gathered the chiefs of the Philistine cities together to tell them, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. Let it return to its own place lest we all die.” For there was deadly panic throughout the city because of God’s heavy hand.
12 Those who did not die were stricken with hemorrhoids and the cry of the city reached to heaven.