1 The|strong="H0853" Philistines|strong="H6430" carried|strong="H0935" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box, from|strong="H0935" Ebenezer|strong="H0072" to|strong="H0935" Ashdod|strong="H0795".
2 They|strong="H0935" carried|strong="H0935" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box into|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" temple|strong="H1004" of|strong="H1004" Dagon|strong="H1712" and|strong="H0935" put|strong="H0935" it|strong="H3947" next to|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" statue of|strong="H1004" Dagon|strong="H1712".
3 The|strong="H0853" next|strong="H4283" morning|strong="H4283", the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H0776" of|strong="H0776" Ashdod|strong="H0796" got|strong="H3947" up|strong="H7925" and|strong="H3068" found Dagon|strong="H1712" lying|strong="H5307" face|strong="H6440" down|strong="H5307" on|strong="H5307" the|strong="H0853" ground|strong="H0776" before|strong="H6440" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Box.
4 But|strong="H7535" the|strong="H6440" next|strong="H4283" morning|strong="H1242" when|strong="H3068" the|strong="H6440" people|strong="H0776" of|strong="H0776" Ashdod got|strong="H7925" up|strong="H7925", they|strong="H5921" found Dagon|strong="H1712" on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H6440" ground|strong="H0776" again|strong="H7925". Dagon|strong="H1712" had|strong="H3068" fallen|strong="H5307" down|strong="H5307" before|strong="H6440" the|strong="H6440" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy Box. This|strong="H3068" time|strong="H7218", Dagon’s|strong="H1712" head|strong="H7218" and|strong="H3068" hands|strong="H3027" were|strong="H3027" broken off|strong="H3772" and|strong="H3068" were|strong="H3027" lying|strong="H5307" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H6440" doorway. Only|strong="H7535" his|strong="H5921" body was|strong="H3068" still in|strong="H5921" one|strong="H0776" piece|strong="H0776".
5 That|strong="H3605" is|strong="H2088" why|strong="H3651", even|strong="H5704" today|strong="H3117", the|strong="H3605" priests|strong="H3548" or|strong="H3808" other|strong="H2088" people|strong="H3808" refuse|strong="H3808" to|strong="H0935" step on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" threshold|strong="H4670" when|strong="H3117" they|strong="H3651" enter|strong="H0935" Dagon’s|strong="H1712" temple|strong="H1004" at|strong="H5921" Ashdod|strong="H0795".
6 The|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" made|strong="H3513" life hard for|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" people of|strong="H3068" Ashdod|strong="H0795" and|strong="H3068" their|strong="H3068" neighbors. He|strong="H3068" gave them|strong="H0413" many troubles and|strong="H3068" caused them|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" get tumors. He|strong="H3068" also|strong="H3068" sent|strong="H3027" mice to|strong="H0413" them|strong="H0413". The|strong="H0853" mice ran all over|strong="H0413" their|strong="H3068" ships and|strong="H3068" then|strong="H0853" onto|strong="H0413" their|strong="H3068" land|strong="H1366". The|strong="H0853" people in|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" city were|strong="H3027" very afraid.
7 They|strong="H3588" saw|strong="H7200" what|strong="H5921" was|strong="H3478" happening and|strong="H3478" said|strong="H0559", “The|strong="H0559" Holy Box of|strong="H0376" the|strong="H0559" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0376" Israel|strong="H3478" can’t|strong="H3808" stay|strong="H3427" here|strong="H5921". God|strong="H0430" is|strong="H0430" punishing us|strong="H5921" and|strong="H3478" Dagon|strong="H1712" our|strong="H5921" god|strong="H0430".”
8 The|strong="H3605" people of|strong="H0430" Ashdod called|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" five Philistine|strong="H6430" rulers|strong="H0430" together|strong="H0622" and|strong="H3478" asked|strong="H0559" them|strong="H0413", “What|strong="H4100" must|strong="H0853" we|strong="H3605" do|strong="H6213" with|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" Holy Box of|strong="H0430" the|strong="H3605" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0430" Israel|strong="H3478"?”
9 But|strong="H1961" after|strong="H0310" the|strong="H0853" Philistines had|strong="H3068" moved God’s Holy Box to|strong="H5704" Gath, the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" punished that|strong="H3068" city|strong="H5892". The|strong="H0853" people|strong="H0376" became|strong="H1961" very|strong="H3966" frightened. God|strong="H3068" caused|strong="H1961" many|strong="H1419" troubles for|strong="H3027" all|strong="H5704" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H0376"—young and|strong="H3068" old|strong="H1419". He|strong="H0310" caused|strong="H1961" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H0376" in|strong="H3068" Gath to|strong="H5704" have|strong="H1961" tumors.
10 So|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" Philistines sent|strong="H7971" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box to|strong="H0413" Ekron|strong="H6138".
11 The|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H0430" Ekron called|strong="H0559" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Philistine|strong="H6430" rulers|strong="H0430" together|strong="H0622" and|strong="H3478" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" rulers|strong="H0430", “Send|strong="H7971" the|strong="H3605" Box of|strong="H0430" the|strong="H3605" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0430" Israel|strong="H3478" back|strong="H7725" home|strong="H4725" before|strong="H3808" it|strong="H3588" kills|strong="H4191" us|strong="H7725" and|strong="H3478" our|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971"!”
12 Many people|strong="H0376" died|strong="H4191", and|strong="H8064" those|strong="H0834" who|strong="H0834" did|strong="H0834" not|strong="H3808", had|strong="H0834" tumors. The|strong="H0834" people|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" Ekron cried loudly to|strong="H4191" heaven|strong="H8064".