1 And the Philistines took the Ark {aron: chest of covenant} of God {haelohim: Sign of Divine Presence} from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 And the Philistines took the ark of God {Elohim: Covenant Keeper} and brought it to the house {bayit: temple} of Dagon and set it beside Dagon.
3 The Ashdodites rose early the next day, and behold, Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Victor}. They took Dagon and returned him to his place {mekom: designated location}.
4 But they rose early the next morning, and behold, Dagon had fallen face down on the ground before the ark of the LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge}; and the head of Dagon and both the palms {kappot: open hands} of his hands were cut off at the threshold. Only the torso of Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore the priests of Dagon {dagon: Philistine deity} and all who enter the house of Dagon do not step upon the threshold of Dagon {miftan: entrance platform} in Ashdod until this very day.
6 And the hand of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge} became heavy upon the Ashdodites, and He devastated them and struck them with tumors {aphelim: external affliction} in Ashdod and its borders.
7 The men of Ashdod saw that it was so, and they said, “The ark of the God of Israel {YHWH Elohei Yisrael, Mighty Judge} shall not remain with us, for His hand {yad: divine power} is severe upon us and upon Dagon our god.”
8 And they sent and gathered all the commanders {sarnei: military leaders} of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel {Elohei Yisrael, Sovereign Protector}?” They replied, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be taken to Gath”; so they took the ark of the God of Israel.
9 And it came to pass after they had moved it that the hand of the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge} was upon the city, throwing it into a very great panic {mehumah: chaos and distress}, and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and growths broke out on them, tumors.
10 And they sent the ark of God {Elohim, Divine Authority} to Ekron. As the ark of God entered Ekron, the Ekronites {ekronim: local inhabitants} cried out, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to kill me and my people.”
11 And they sent for and assembled all the commanders of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel {Elohei Yisra’el: Covenant Guardian}, and let it return to its place so that it will not kill me or my people; because there had been a panic {mehumat-mavet: mortal panic} in the whole city. The hand of the God was very heavy there."
12 And the men who did not die were struck with hemorrhoids{afelim: excruciating swellings} and tumors{tchorim: hard masses}, and the cry of the city went up to the heavens.