1. And the Philistines took the ark of God and carried it from the help stone, unto Asdod,

2. and brought it unto the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3. And when they of Asdod were up in the morning behold, Dagon lay grovelling upon the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

4. And when they were up early in the next morning behold, Dagon lay grovelling upon the ground before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, that the body onely was left on him.

5. Wherefore neither the priests of Dagon, neither any man that cometh into Dagon's house might tread on the threshold of Dagon in Asdod, unto this day.

6. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Asdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with Emerods, both Asdod and all the coasts thereof.

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

8. And so they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said: what shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? Then said they of Geth let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about.

9. And when they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was in the city with a mighty great plague, and he smote the men of the city both small and great: and they were smitten in their secret places, with the Emerods.

10. Then they sent the ark of God to Akaron. And as soon as the ark of God came to Akaron, the Akaronites cried out saying: they have brought the ark of the God of Israel unto us: to slay us and our people.

11. Then they sent and fetched all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said: send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go home again unto his own place, that it slay us not with our people. For there was a plague of death thorowout all the city, and the hand of God was exceeding sore there,

12. insomuch that they which died not, were smitten with the Emerods: so that the cry of the city went up to heaven.