שמואל א 5

1 וּפְלִשְׁתִּים לָֽקְחוּ אֵת אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיְבִאֻהוּ מֵאֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה׃

After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,

2 וַיִּקְחוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיָּבִאוּ אֹתוֹ בֵּית דָּגוֹן וַיַּצִּיגוּ אֹתוֹ אֵצֶל דָּגֽוֹן׃

carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.

3 וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ אַשְׁדּוֹדִים מִֽמׇּחֳרָת וְהִנֵּה דָגוֹן נֹפֵל לְפָנָיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יְהֹוָה וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־דָּגוֹן וַיָּשִׁבוּ אֹתוֹ לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃

When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.

4 וַיַּשְׁכִּמוּ בַבֹּקֶר מִֽמׇּחֳרָת וְהִנֵּה דָגוֹן נֹפֵל לְפָנָיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יְהֹוָה וְרֹאשׁ דָּגוֹן וּשְׁתֵּי ׀ כַּפּוֹת יָדָיו כְּרֻתוֹת אֶל־הַמִּפְתָּן רַק דָּגוֹן נִשְׁאַר עָלָֽיו׃

But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.

5 עַל־כֵּן לֹֽא־יִדְרְכוּ כֹהֲנֵי דָגוֹן וְכׇֽל־הַבָּאִים בֵּית־דָּגוֹן עַל־מִפְתַּן דָּגוֹן בְּאַשְׁדּוֹד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּֽה׃

That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.

6 וַתִּכְבַּד יַד־יְהֹוָה אֶל־הָאַשְׁדּוֹדִים וַיְשִׁמֵּם וַיַּךְ אֹתָם (בעפלים) [בַּטְּחֹרִים] אֶת־אַשְׁדּוֹד וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶֽיהָ׃

Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.

7 וַיִּרְאוּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־אַשְׁדּוֹד כִּי־כֵן וְאָמְרוּ לֹא־יֵשֵׁב אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמָּנוּ כִּֽי־קָשְׁתָה יָדוֹ עָלֵינוּ וְעַל דָּגוֹן אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃

And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”

8 וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת־כׇּל־סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים אֲלֵיהֶם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂה לַֽאֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ גַּת יִסֹּב אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּסֵּבּוּ אֶת־אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.

9 וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי ׀ הֵסַבּוּ אֹתוֹ וַתְּהִי יַד־יְהֹוָה ׀ בָּעִיר מְהוּמָה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד וַיַּךְ אֶת־אַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר מִקָּטֹן וְעַד־גָּדוֹל וַיִּשָּׂתְרוּ לָהֶם (עפלים) [טְחֹרִֽים]׃

But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.

10 וַֽיְשַׁלְּחוּ אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים עֶקְרוֹן וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים עֶקְרוֹן וַיִּזְעֲקוּ הָעֶקְרֹנִים לֵאמֹר הֵסַבּוּ אֵלַי אֶת־אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לַהֲמִיתֵנִי וְאֶת־עַמִּֽי׃

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron, but as it arrived, the Ekronites cried out, “They have brought us the ark of the God of Israel in order to kill us and our people!”

11 וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת־כׇּל־סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ שַׁלְּחוּ אֶת־אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֹׁב לִמְקוֹמוֹ וְלֹא־יָמִית אֹתִי וְאֶת־עַמִּי כִּֽי־הָיְתָה מְהֽוּמַת־מָוֶת בְּכׇל־הָעִיר כָּבְדָה מְאֹד יַד הָאֱלֹהִים שָֽׁם׃

Then the Ekronites assembled all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was heavy upon it.

12 וְהָֽאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לֹא־מֵתוּ הֻכּוּ (בעפלים) [בַּטְּחֹרִים] וַתַּעַל שַֽׁוְעַת הָעִיר הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.