1Now the Philistines had taken God's ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2The Philistines took God's ark, brought it into the temple of Dagon, and set it next to Dagon.
3When the people of Ashdod got up early the next day, they saw Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before Yahweh's ark. They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place.
4When they got up early the next morning, they saw Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground in front of Yahweh’s ark. Dagon's head and both his hands were cut off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon's body was left.
5That’s why, to this day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone who enters Dagon’s temple in Ashdod steps on its threshold.
6But Yahweh severely punished the people of Ashdod. He devastated them and struck them with tumors, both in Ashdod and the surrounding areas.
7When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel cannot stay with us, because he is punishing us and our god Dagon severely.”
8So they sent for and gathered all the Philistine rulers and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel there.
9After they moved it there, Yahweh severely troubled that city, causing great confusion. He afflicted everyone in the city, young and old, with tumors.
10So they sent God’s ark to Ekron. As God’s ark arrived in Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!”
11So they sent for and gathered all the Philistine rulers. They said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away and let it go back to its own place, so it doesn't kill us and our people.” There was deadly terror throughout the city, and God’s punishment was very severe there.
12The men who didn't die were struck with tumors, and the cries of the city went up to heaven.