² Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the temple of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon. ³ When the Ashdodites got up early the next morning, there was^[a] Dagon fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh! So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. ⁴ When they got up early in the morning the next day, there was^[b] Dagon fallen again with his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh! The head of Dagon and the palms of his two hands were cut off, lying at^[c] the threshold; only the body^[d] of Dagon was left. ⁵ (Therefore the priests of Dagon and all who come into the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod until this very day.)

⁷ The men of Ashdod saw that it was so, and they said, “The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, because his hand is harsh on us and on Dagon our god!”