The Death of Samson

²³ Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to ^(A)Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.”

² Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside ^(A)Dagon. ³ And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, ^(B)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, ^(C)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 ^(D)do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

⁴ Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ^(A)“an idol has no real existence,” and that ^(B)“there is no God but one.” ⁵ For although there may be ^(C)so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—

²³ and ^(A)exchanged the glory of ^(B)the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

²⁴ Therefore ^(C)God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to ^(D)the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for ^(E)a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(F)who is blessed forever! Amen.