1 Samuel 5
5
The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron
1The Philistines had captured the ark of God. They took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2They carried the ark into the temple of their god Dagon. They set it down beside the statue of Dagon. 3The people of Ashdod got up early the next day. They saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. So they picked up the statue of Dagon. They put it back in its place. 4But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple. 5That’s why to this day no one steps on the bottom part of the doorway of Dagon’s temple at Ashdod. Not even the priests of Dagon step there.
6The Lord’s power was against the people of Ashdod and the settlements near it. He destroyed them. He made them suffer with growths in their bodies. 7The people of Ashdod saw what was happening. They said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us. His power is against us and against our god Dagon.” 8So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines. They asked them, “What should we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
The rulers answered, “Have the ark moved to Gath.” So they moved it.
9But after the people of Ashdod had moved the ark, the Lord’s power was against Gath. That threw its people into a great panic. The Lord made them break out with growths in their bodies. It happened to young people and old people alike. 10So the ark of God was sent to Ekron.
As the ark was entering Ekron, the people of the city cried out. They shouted, “They’ve brought the ark of the god of Israel to us. They want to kill us and our people.” 11So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines. They said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away. Let it go back to its own place. If you don’t, it will kill us and our people.” The death of so many people had filled the city with panic. God’s power was against the city. 12Those who didn’t die suffered with growths in their bodies. The people of Ekron cried out to heaven for help.
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1 Samuel 5: NIrV
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1 Samuel 5
5
The Ark in Philistine Hands
1After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer # 1Sm 4:1; 7:12 to Ashdod, # Jos 13:3 2brought it into the temple of Dagon # A Philistine god of the sea, grain, or storm # Jdg 16:23-24; 1Ch 10:8-10 and placed it next to his statue. # Lit to Dagon 3When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. # Is 46:1-9 So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 4But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained. # LXX; Hb reads Only Dagon remained on it 5That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon’s threshold.
6The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, # Ex 9:3; 1Sm 5:7,11 terrorizing # 1Sm 6:5 and afflicting the people of Ashdod and its territory with tumors. # LXX adds He brought up mice against them, and they swarmed in their ships. Then mice went up into the land and there was a mortal panic in the city. # Perhaps bubonic plague # Dt 28:27; Ps 78:66 7When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because His hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.” 8So they called all the Philistine rulers together # 1Sm 5:11; 29:6-11 and asked, “What should we do with the ark of Israel’s God? ”
“The ark of Israel’s God should be moved to Gath,” they replied. So the men of Ashdod moved the ark. 9After they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against the city of Gath, # 1Sm 5:11; 7:13 causing a great panic. He afflicted the men of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with an outbreak of tumors. # 1Sm 5:6
10The Gittites then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it got there, the Ekronites cried out, “They’ve moved the ark of Israel’s God to us to kill us and our people! ” # DSS, LXX read Why have you moved . . . people?
11The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. # 1Sm 5:8 They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. It must return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people! ” # DSS, LXX read Why don’t you return it to . . . people? For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them. # 1Sm 5:6,9 12The men who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven. # Ex 12:30
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