The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod.(A) He terrified(B) the people of Ashdod and its territory and afflicted them with tumors.[a][b](C) When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because his hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.” So they called all the Philistine rulers together(D) and asked, “What should we do with the ark of Israel’s God?”

“The ark of Israel’s God should be moved to Gath,” they replied. So they moved the ark of Israel’s God.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:6 LXX adds He brought up mice against them, and they swarmed in their ships. Then mice went up into the land and there was a mortal panic in the city.
  2. 5:6 Perhaps bubonic plague

The Lord’s hand(A) was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation(B) on them and afflicted them with tumors.[a](C) When the people 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 on us and on Dagon our god.” So they called together all the rulers(D) of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”

They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.(E)” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 5:6 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate tumors. And rats appeared in their land, and there was death and destruction throughout the city