Our Lord & Savior

The Book of 1 Samuel: Part 1

The Philistines and the Ark

(1 Samuel 5:1-12)

1 The Philistines captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

2 They took the ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon.

3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the Lord. They put Dagon back in his place.

4 The following morning, they rose to find Dagon fallen face down before the ark of the Lord again; this time, Dagon's head and both hands were severed, lying on the threshold, leaving only Dagon's torso intact.

5 As a result, to this day, neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter his temple in Ashdod step on the threshold.

6 The Lord's hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod; he devastated them and struck them with tumors, affecting Ashdod and its territory.

7 Seeing this, the men of Ashdod declared, "The ark of the God of Israel cannot stay with us, for his hand is harsh on us and on Dagon our god."

8 They summoned all the Philistine rulers and asked, "What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" The consensus was to move the ark of the God of Israel to Gath, and so they did.

9 After moving it, the Lord's hand brought severe destruction upon the city, afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with tumors in their private parts.

10 Consequently, they sent the ark of God to Ekron. As the ark of God arrived in Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here to kill us and our people!"

11 Therefore, they summoned all the Philistine lords and said, "Return the ark of the God of Israel to its place, so that it does not kill us and our people." For there was a fatal devastation throughout the entire city; the hand of God weighed heavily upon it.

12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the city's lament reached the heavens.