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1 Samuel 5
New English Translation

God Sends Trouble for the Philistines Who Have the Ark

5 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon. 3 When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day,[a] Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 4 But when they got up early the following day, Dagon was again lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying at the threshold. Only Dagon’s body was left intact.[b] 5 (For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple steps on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.)

6 The Lord attacked[c] the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of[d] both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores.[e] 7 When the people[f] of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked[g] both us and our god Dagon!”

8 So they assembled[h] all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked[i] that city as well, causing a great deal of panic. He struck all the people of that city[j] with sores.[k] 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron, the residents of Ekron cried out saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here[l] to kill our[m] people!” 11 So they assembled[n] all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won’t kill us[o] and our[p] people!” The terror[q] of death was throughout the entire city; God was attacking them very severely there.[r] 12 The people[s] who did not die were struck with sores; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 5:3 tc The LXX adds “they entered the temple of Dagon and saw.”
  2. 1 Samuel 5:4 tc Heb “only Dagon was left.” We should probably read the word גֵּו (gev, “back”) before Dagon, understanding it to have the sense of the similar word גְּוִיָּה (geviyyah, “body”). This variant is supported by the following evidence: The LXX has ἡ ῥάχις (hē hrachis, “the back” or “trunk”); the Syriac Peshitta has wegusmeh (“and the body of”); the Targum has gupyeh (“the body of”); the Vulgate has truncus (“the trunk of,” cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT). On the strength of this evidence the present translation employs the phrase “Dagon’s body.”
  3. 1 Samuel 5:6 tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was heavy upon.”
  4. 1 Samuel 5:6 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  5. 1 Samuel 5:6 tc The LXX and Vulgate add the following: “And mice multiplied in their land, and the terror of death was throughout the entire city.”tn Or “tumors” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “growths on their skin”; KJV “emerods”; NAB “hemorrhoids.”
  6. 1 Samuel 5:7 tn Heb “men.”
  7. 1 Samuel 5:7 tn Heb “for his hand is severe upon.”
  8. 1 Samuel 5:8 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
  9. 1 Samuel 5:9 tn Heb “the hand of the Lord was against the city.”
  10. 1 Samuel 5:9 tn Heb “and he struck the men of the city from small and to great.”
  11. 1 Samuel 5:9 tn See the note on this term in v. 6. Cf. KJV “and they had emerods in their secret parts.”
  12. 1 Samuel 5:10 tn Heb “to me.”
  13. 1 Samuel 5:10 tn Heb “my.”
  14. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
  15. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “me.”
  16. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “my.”
  17. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Or “panic.”
  18. 1 Samuel 5:11 tn Heb “the hand of God was very heavy there.”
  19. 1 Samuel 5:12 tn Heb “men.”
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1 Samuel 5
World English Bible

5 Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark. They took Dagon and set him in his place again. 4 When they arose early on the following morning, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Yahweh’s ark; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso was intact. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. 6 But Yahweh’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.

7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel shall not stay with us, for his hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 They sent therefore and gathered together all 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 carried over to Gath.” They carried the ark of the God of Israel there. 9 It was so, that after they had carried it there, Yahweh’s hand was against the city with a very great confusion; and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, so that tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent God’s ark to Ekron.

As God’s ark came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to us, to kill us and our people.” 11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, “Send the ark of the God of Israel away, and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly panic throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. 12 The men who didn’t die were struck with the tumors; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

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