1 Samuel 5
English Standard Version
The Philistines and the Ark
5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from (A)Ebenezer to (B)Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside (C)Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, (D)Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the Lord, (E)and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him. 5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon (F)do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 (G)The hand of the Lord was heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with (H)tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent and gathered together all (I)the lords of the Philistines and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath.” So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there. 9 But after they had brought it around, (J)the hand of the Lord was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that (K)tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But as soon as the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to kill us and our people.” 11 (L)They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people.” For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. (M)The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who did not die were struck with (N)tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
1 Samuel 5
1599 Geneva Bible
5 2 The Philistines bring the Ark into the house of Dagon, which idol fell down before it. 6 The men of Ashdod are plagued. 8 The Ark is carried into Gath, and after to Ekron.
1 Then the Philistines took the Ark of God and carried it from Ebenezer unto [a]Ashdod,
2 Even the Philistines took the Ark of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by [b]Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod rose the next day in the morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord, and they took up Dagon, and set him in his place again.
4 Also they rose up early in the morning the next day, and behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord, and the head of Dagon and the two palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold: only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore the Priests of Dagon, and all that come into Dagon’s house, [c]tread not on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, unto this day.
6 But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and destroyed them, and smote them with the (A)emerods, both Ashdod, and the coasts thereof.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw this, they said, Let not the Ark of the God of Israel abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god.
8 They sent therefore, and gathered all the princes of the Philistines unto them, and said, [d]What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the Ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath: 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 against the city with a very great destruction, and he smote the men of the city both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
10 ¶ Therefore they sent the Ark of God to Ekron: and as soon as the Ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people.
11 Therefore they sent, and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and said, Send [e]away the Ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to his own place, that it slay us not and our people: for there was a destruction and death throughout all the city, and the hand of God was very sore there.
12 And the men that died not, were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 5:1 Which was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 5:2 Which was their chief idol, and as some write, from the navel downward was like a fish, and upward like a man.
- 1 Samuel 5:5 Thus instead of acknowledging the true God by this miracle, they fall to a further superstition.
- 1 Samuel 5:8 Though they had felt God’s power, and were afraid thereof, yet they would further try him, which thing God turned to their destruction and his glory.
- 1 Samuel 5:11 The wicked when they feel the hand of God, grudge and reject him, where the godly humble themselves, and cry for mercy.
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