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

2. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3. And when those of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4. And when they arose early on the morning of the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of LORD, and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay cut off upon the threshold. Only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

5. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day.

6. But the hand of LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with tumors, even Ashdod and the borders of it.

7. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand is hard upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about to Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel there.

9. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of LORD was against the city with a very great discomfiture. And he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out upon them.

10. So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people.

11. They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

12. And the men who did not die were smitten with the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.