The Ark Afflicts the Philistines 1 UDB After the army of the Philistine people captured God's sacred chest in the town of Ebenezer, they took it to Ashdod, one of their largest cities. BSB BSB: After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod,
2 UDB They carried it into the temple of their god Dagon and placed it alongside a statue of Dagon. BSB BSB: carried it into the temple of Dagon, and set it beside his statue.
3 UDB But early the next morning, when the people of Ashdod went to see it, they saw that the statue had fallen on its face in front of Yahweh's sacred chest! So they set the statue up in its place again. BSB BSB: When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and returned him to his place.
4 UDB But the following morning, they saw that it had fallen down in front of the sacred chest again. But this time, it was as if someone had cut the statue's head and hands off; they were lying in the doorway. Only its body remained in one piece. BSB BSB: But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on his face before the ark of the LORD, with his head and his hands broken off and lying on the threshold. Only the torso remained.
5 UDB That is the reason that, ever since that time, the priests of Dagon and everyone else who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the doorsill where the hands and head of Dagon had fallen. BSB BSB: That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and all who enter the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on the threshold.
6 UDB Then Yahweh made the people of Ashdod suffer very much with tumors. Many sickened and died, both in the city and in the surrounding region. BSB BSB: Now the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity, ravaging them and afflicting them with tumors.
7 UDB The people of Ashdod realized why this was happening, and they cried out, "The God of the Israelites is punishing us and our god Dagon. So we cannot allow the sacred chest of the God of the Israelites to remain here!" BSB BSB: And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon.”
8 UDB They summoned the five kings of the Philistine people and asked them, "What should we do with the sacred chest of the God of the Israelites?" The kings replied, "Take the sacred chest to the city of Gath." So they moved it to Gath. BSB BSB: So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” “It must be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they carried away the ark of the God of Israel.
9 UDB But after they took it to Gath, Yahweh powerfully struck the people of that city also, with the result that many men, including young men and old men, got tumors on their skins. Then the people became very afraid. BSB BSB: But after they had moved the ark to Gath, the LORD’s hand was also against that city, throwing it into great confusion and afflicting the men of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.
11 UDB So the people of Ekron also summoned the Philistine kings. When they came, the people said to them, "Take this sacred chest of the god of the Israelites back to its own place! If you do not do that quickly, we will all die!" The people were terrified because they knew that God was starting to punish them severely. BSB BSB: Then the Ekronites called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel. It must return to its place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For a deadly confusion had pervaded the city; the hand of God was very heavy upon it.
12 UDB Some of the people in Ekron had already died, and the rest of the people were suffering because of tumors on their skins. So they all cried out to their gods to help them. BSB BSB: Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
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