1 Samuel 5

1 Forsothe Filisteis token the arke of God, and baren awey it fro the stoon of help in to Azotus.

Then the Philistines took the ark of God, and they transported it from the Stone of Assistance into Ashdod.

2 And Filisteis tokun the arke of God, and brouyten it to the temple of Dagon, and settiden it bisidis Dagon.

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and carried it into the temple of Dagon. And they stationed it beside Dagon.

3 And whanne men of Azotus hadden rise eerli in the todir dai, lo! Dagon lay low in the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord. And thei token Dagon, and restoriden hym in his place.

And when the Ashdodites had risen up at first light on the next day, behold, Dagon was lying prone on the ground before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and they set him again in his place.

4 And eft thei risiden eerli in the tothir day, and founden Dagon liggynge on his face on the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord. Forsothe the heed of Dagon, and twei pawmes of his hondis weren kit of on the threisfold;

And again, on the next day, rising up in the morning, they found Dagon lying on his face upon the ground, before the ark of the Lord. But the head of Dagon, and both palms of his hands had been cut off upon the threshold.

5 certis the stok aloone of Dagon lefte in his place. For this cause the preestis of Dagon, and alle that entren in to his temple, treden not on the threisfold of Dagon in Azotus til in to this dai.

Moreover, only the trunk of Dagon remained in its place. For this reason, the priests of Dagon, and all who enter his temple, do not tread upon the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, even to this day.

6 Forsothe the hond of the Lord was maad greuouse on men of Azotus, and he distriede hem, and he smoot Azotus and the coostis therof in the priuyere part of buttokis; and townes and feeldis in the myddis of that cuntrey buyliden out, and myis camen forth; and greet confusioun of deth was maad in the citee.

Now the hand of the Lord weighed heavily upon the Ashdodites, and he destroyed them. And he struck Ashdod and its borders at the inner part of the buttocks. And in the villages and fields, in the midst of that region, mice rose up and burst forth. And this caused a great tumult unto death in the city.

7 Sotheli men of Azotus sien siche a veniaunce, and seiden, The arke of God of Israel dwelle not at vs; for his hond is hard on vs, and on Dagon oure god.

Then the men of Ashdod, seeing this kind of plague, said: “The ark of the God of Israel shall not remain with us. For his hand is harsh, over us and over Dagon, our god.”

8 And thei senten, and gaderiden alle the wise men, `ether princes, of Filisteis `to hem, and seiden, What schulen we do of the arke of God of Israel? And men of Geth answeriden, The arke of God of Israel be led aboute; and thei ledden aboute the arke of God of Israel.

And sending, they gathered together all the princes of the Philistines to them, and they said, “What shall we do about the ark of the God of Israel?” And the Gathites responded, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be led around.” And they led the ark of the God of Israel around.

9 Forsothe while thei ledden it aboute, the hond of the Lord `of ful greet sleyng was maad on alle citees; and he smoot men of ech citee fro a litil man til to `the more, and the lowere entraylis `of hem wexiden rotun, and camen forth; and men of Geth token counsel, and maden to hem seetis of skynnes, ethir cuyschuns.

And as they were carrying it around, the hand of the Lord fell upon every single city with an exceedingly great slaughter. And he struck down the men of each and every city, from the small even to the great. And cysts were festering at their buttocks. And the Gathites took counsel, and they made for themselves seat covers from pelts.

10 Therfor thei senten the arke of the Lord in to Accoron. And whanne the arke of the Lord hadde come in to Accoron, men of Accoron crieden, and seiden, Thei han brought to vs the arke of God of Israel, that he sle vs and oure puple.

Therefore, they sent the ark of God into Ekron. And when the ark of God had arrived at Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, so that it may kill us and our people!”

11 Therfor thei senten, and gaderiden alle the wise men, `ethir princes, of Filisteis; whiche seiden, Delyuere ye the arke of God of Israel, and turne it ayen in to his place, and sle not vs with oure puple.

And so they sent and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and they said: “Release the ark of the God of Israel, and return it to its own place. And let it not kill us, with our people.”

12 For dreed of deeth was maad in alle citees, and the hond of the Lord was `greuouse greetli. Also the men, that weren not deed, weren smytun in the priuy part of buttokis, and the yelling of ech citee stiede in to heuene.

For the fear of death fell upon every single city, and the hand of God was very heavy. Also, the men who did not die were being afflicted in the inner part of the buttocks. And the wailing of each city was ascending to heaven.