1 Samuel 5

1 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

And the Philistines have taken the Ark of God, and bring it in from Eben-Ezer to Ashdod,

2 The Philistines took the ark of God, brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it up beside Dagon.

and the Philistines take the Ark of God and bring it into the house of Dagon, and set it near Dagon.

3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen facedown on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. So they took Dagon and set him up in his place again.

And the Ashdodites rise early on the next day, and behold, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the Ark of YHWH; and they take Dagon, and put it back in its place.

4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen facedown on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. The head of Dagon and both of his hands were lying cut off in the doorway. Only the trunk of Dagon remained.

And they rise early in the morning on the next day, and behold, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before the Ark of YHWH, and the head of Dagon, and the two palms of its hands are cut off at the threshold, only Dagon’s [body] has been left of him;

5 This is why, even today, the priests of Dagon and anyone who comes into Dagon's house does not step on the doorway of Dagon in Ashdod.

therefore the priests of Dagon, and all those coming into the house of Dagon, do not tread on the threshold of Dagon, in Ashdod, until this day.

6 Yahweh's hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod. He destroyed them and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.

And the hand of YHWH is heavy on the Ashdodites, and He makes them desolate, and strikes them with lumps, Ashdod and its borders.

7 When the men of Ashdod realized what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us, because his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”

And the men of Ashdod see that [it is] so, and have said, “The Ark of the God of Israel does not abide with us, for His hand has been hard on us, and on our god Dagon.”

8 So they sent for and gathered together all of the rulers of the Philistines; they said to them, “What should 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 carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

And they send and gather all the princes of the Philistines to them, and say, “What do we do to the Ark of the God of Israel?” And they say, “Let the Ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath”; and they bring around the Ark of the God of Israel;

9 But after they brought it around, Yahweh's hand was against the city, causing a very great confusion. He afflicted the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them.

and it comes to pass after they have brought it around, that the hand of YHWH is against the city—a very great destruction; and He strikes the men of the city, from small and to great; and lumps break forth on them.

10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came into Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.”

And they send the Ark of God to Ekron, and it comes to pass, at the coming in of the Ark of God to Ekron, that the Ekronites cry out, saying, “They have brought around the Ark of the God of Israel to us, to put us and our people to death.”

11 So they sent for and gathered together all of the rulers of the Philistines; they said to them, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

And they send and gather all the princes of the Philistines, and say, “Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, and it turns back to its place, and it does not put us and our people to death”; for there has been a deadly destruction throughout all the city, the hand of God has been very heavy there,

12 The men who did not die were afflicted with the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to the heavens.

and the men who have not died have been struck with lumps, and the cry of the city goes up into the heavens.