Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2The Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. 3When they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Allah. They took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4When they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Allah; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off on the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day. 6But the hand of Allah was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders. 7When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us; for his hand is heavy on us, and on Dagon our god. 8They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines, and said, What will we do with the ark of the God of Israel? They answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be taken to Gath. They carried the ark of the God of Israel there. 9It was so, that after they had carried it there, the hand of Allah was against the city with a very great confusion: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them. 10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people. 11They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it return to its own place, that it not kill us and our people. For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.