The Philistines having brought the Ark into Ashdod set it in the house of Dagon.

1 ¶ And the Philistinesº tookºª² the arkº of God,º and broughtºª it from Ebenezerº² unto Ashdod.º 2 When the Philistinesº tookºª² the arkº of God,º they broughtºª it into the houseº of Dagon,º and setºª it byº Dagon.º

Dagon is smitten down and cut in pieces, and they of Ashdod smitten with emerods.

3 ¶ And when they of Ashdod¹² arose earlyºª on the morrow,º² behold,² Dagonº [was] fallenºª upon his faceº to the earthº beforeº the arkº of the LORD.º And they tookºª² Dagon,º and setºª him in his placeº again.¹ª 4 And when they arose earlyºª on the morrowº² morning,º behold,² Dagonº [was] fallenºª upon his faceº to the groundº beforeº the arkº of the LORD;º and the headº of Dagonº and bothº the palmsº of his handsº [were] cut offºª upon² the threshold;º only² [the stump of] Dagonº was leftºª to² him. 5 Therefore²² neither² the priestsº of Dagon,º nor any² that comeºª into Dagon'sº house,º treadºª on² the thresholdº of Dagonº in Ashdodº unto² this² day.º 6 But the handº of the LORDº was heavyºª upon² them of Ashdod,¹² and he destroyedºª them, and smoteºª them with emerods,º¹ª [even]² Ashdodº and the coastsº thereof. 7 And when the men¹² of Ashdodº sawºª that² [it was] so,² they said,ºª The arkº of the Godº of Israelº shall not² abideºª with² us: for² his handº is soreºª upon² us, and upon² Dagonº our god.º

So God dealeth with them of Gath, when it was brought thither:

8 They sentºª therefore and gatheredºª² all² the lordsº of the Philistinesº unto² them, and said,ºª What² shall we doºª with the arkº of the Godº of Israel?º And they answered,ºª Let the arkº of the Godº of Israelº be carried aboutºª unto Gath.º And they carriedºª² the arkº of the Godº of Israelº about¹ª [thither]. 9 And it was² [so], that, afterº they had carried it about,ºª² the handº of the LORDº was² against the cityº with a veryº greatº destruction:º and he smoteºª² the men¹² of the city,º both smallº² and great,º and they had emerodsº¹ª in their secret parts.ºª

and so with them of Ekron, when it was brought thither.

10 ¶ Therefore they sentºª² the arkº of Godº to Ekron.º And it came to pass,² as the arkº of Godº cameºª to Ekron,º that the Ekronitesº cried out,ºª saying,ºª They have brought aboutºª² the arkº of the Godº of Israelº to² us, to slayºª us and our people.º 11 So they sentºª and gathered togetherºª² all² the lordsº of the Philistines,º and said,ºª Send awayºª² the arkº of the Godº of Israel,º and let it go againºª to his own place,º that it slayºª us not,² and our people:º for² there was² a deadlyº destructionº throughout all² the city;º the handº of Godº was veryº heavyºª there.² 12 And the men¹² that² diedºª not² were smittenºª with the emerods:º¹ª and the cryº of the cityº went upºª to heaven.º