1The Philistines took the ark of God from Ebenezer and brought it to Ashdod.
2They carried the ark into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside the idol.
3The next morning the people of Ashdod found that Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD. They picked him up and put him back in his place.
4The following morning they got up to find Dagon fallen face down before the ark again — but this time his head and both hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold. Only his torso remained.
5That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone else who enters Dagon's temple at Ashdod steps on the threshold.
6The LORD's hand was heavy upon the people of Ashdod. He brought disaster on them and struck them with tumors — both the city of Ashdod and the surrounding region.
7When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, 'The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us. His hand is crushing us and our god Dagon.'
8They summoned all the Philistine rulers and asked, 'What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?' The rulers decided, 'Move the ark to Gath.' So they moved it there.
9But after it arrived at Gath, the LORD's hand brought a terrible panic to that city. He struck the people — both young and old — with a painful outbreak of tumors.
10So they sent the ark of God on to Ekron. But as it arrived at Ekron, the people cried out, 'They have sent the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us all!'
11They called together all the Philistine rulers and said, 'Send the ark of the God of Israel back to its own place before it kills us all!' For a deadly plague had spread through the whole city, and God's hand was very heavy there.
12Those who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cries of the city rose up to heaven.