5
Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6
But the hand of HaShem was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and He destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.
7
And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said: 'The ark of the G-d of Israel shall not abide with us; for His hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.'
8
They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said: 'What shall we do with the ark of the G-d of Israel?' And they answered: 'Let the ark of the G-d of Israel be carried about unto Gath.' And they carried the ark of the G-d of Israel about thither.
9
And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of HaShem was against the city with a very great discomfiture; and He smote the men of the city, both small and great, and emerods broke out upon them.
10
So they sent the ark of G-d to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of G-d came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying: 'They have brought about the ark of the G-d of Israel to us, to slay 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 G-d of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, that it slay us not, and our people'; for there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of G-d was very heavy there.
12
And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.