The Ark Afflicts the Philistines

1  וּפְלִשְׁתִּים֙ (And the Philistines) לָֽקְח֔וּ (took) אֵ֖ת (-) אֲר֣וֹן (the ark) הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (of God), וַיְבִאֻ֛הוּ (and they brought it in) מֵאֶ֥בֶן (from Eben-) הָעֵ֖זֶר (ezer) אַשְׁדּֽוֹדָה׃ (to Ashdod). 2  וַיִּקְח֤וּ (And took) פְלִשְׁתִּים֙ (the Philistines) אֶת־ (-) אֲר֣וֹן (the ark) הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים (of God), וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ (and they brought it into) אֹת֖וֹ (-) בֵּ֣ית (the house) דָּג֑וֹן (of Dagon) וַיַּצִּ֥יגוּ (and set) אֹת֖וֹ (it) אֵ֥צֶל (beside) דָּגֽוֹן׃ (Dagon).

3  וַיַּשְׁכִּ֤מוּ (And arose early) אַשְׁדּוֹדִים֙ (the Ashdodites) מִֽמָּחֳרָ֔ת (in the morning), וְהִנֵּ֣ה (and there was) דָג֗וֹן (Dagon), נֹפֵ֤ל (fallen) לְפָנָיו֙ (on his face) אַ֔רְצָה (to the earth) לִפְנֵ֖י (before the face of) אֲר֣וֹן (the ark) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH). וַיִּקְחוּ֙ (And they took) אֶת־ (-) דָּג֔וֹן (Dagon), וַיָּשִׁ֥בוּ (and returned) אֹת֖וֹ (him) לִמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ (to his place).

4  וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣מוּ (And they arose) בַבֹּקֶר֮ (in the morning) מִֽמָּחֳרָת֒ (on the next day), וְהִנֵּ֣ה (and behold) דָג֗וֹן (Dagon) נֹפֵ֤ל (was fallen) לְפָנָיו֙ (on his face) אַ֔רְצָה (to the ground) לִפְנֵ֖י (before the face of) אֲר֣וֹן (the ark) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH), וְרֹ֨אשׁ (and the head) דָּג֜וֹן (of Dagon) וּשְׁתֵּ֣י׀ (and the two) כַּפּ֣וֹת (palms) יָדָ֗יו (of its hands) כְּרֻתוֹת֙ (were broken off) אֶל־ (on) הַמִּפְתָּ֔ן (the threshold). רַ֥ק (Only) דָּג֖וֹן (Dagon) נִשְׁאַ֥ר (was left) עָלָֽיו׃ (of it). 5  עַל־ (Upon) כֵּ֡ן (thus) לֹֽא־ (not) יִדְרְכוּ֩ (do tread) כֹהֲנֵ֨י (the priests) דָג֜וֹן (of Dagon)— וְכָֽל־ (and all) הַבָּאִ֧ים (those coming into) בֵּית־ (the house) דָּג֛וֹן (of Dagon)— עַל־ (on) מִפְתַּ֥ן (the threshold) דָּג֖וֹן (of Dagon) בְּאַשְׁדּ֑וֹד (in Ashdod) עַ֖ד (to) הַיּ֥וֹם (the day) הַזֶּֽה׃ס (this).

6  וַתִּכְבַּ֧ד (And was heavy) יַד־ (the hand) יְהוָ֛ה (of YHWH) אֶל־ (on) הָאַשְׁדּוֹדִ֖ים (the Ashdodites), וַיְשִׁמֵּ֑ם (and He ravaged them) וַיַּ֤ךְ (and struck) אֹתָם֙ (them) בָּעֳפָלִים (with tumors), אֶת־ (-) אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד (Ashdod) וְאֶת־ (and) גְּבוּלֶֽיהָ׃ (its borders). 7  וַיִּרְא֥וּ (And saw) אַנְשֵֽׁי־ (the men) אַשְׁדּ֖וֹד (of Ashdod) כִּֽי־ (that) כֵ֑ן (it was so), וְאָמְר֗וּ (and they said), לֹֽא־ (Not) יֵשֵׁ֞ב (must remain) אֲר֨וֹן (the ark) אֱלֹהֵ֤י (of the God) יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (of Israel) עִמָּ֔נוּ (with us), כִּֽי־ (for) קָשְׁתָ֤ה (is harsh) יָדוֹ֙ (His hand) עָלֵ֔ינוּ (against us) וְעַ֖ל (and against) דָּג֥וֹן (Dagon) אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (our god).

8  וַיִּשְׁלְח֡וּ (And they sent) וַיַּאַסְפוּ֩ (and gathered) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) סַרְנֵ֨י (the lords) פְלִשְׁתִּ֜ים (of the Philistines) אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם (to themselves) וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (and said), מַֽה־ (What) נַּעֲשֶׂ֗ה (shall we do) לַֽאֲרוֹן֙ (with the ark) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (of the God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel)?

וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ (And they answered), גַּ֣ת (To Gath) יִסֹּ֔ב (let be carried away) אֲר֖וֹן (the ark) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (of the God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל (of Israel). וַיַּסֵּ֕בּוּ (And they carried away) אֶת־ (-) אֲר֖וֹן (the ark) אֱלֹהֵ֥י (of the God) יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ס (of Israel).

9  וַיְהִ֞י (And it came to pass), אַחֲרֵ֣י׀ (after) הֵסַ֣בּוּ (they had carried away) אֹת֗וֹ (it), וַתְּהִ֨י (that was) יַד־ (the hand) יְהוָ֤ה׀ (of YHWH) בָּעִיר֙ (against the city) מְהוּמָה֙ (with a destruction) גְּדוֹלָ֣ה (great) מְאֹ֔ד (very), וַיַּךְ֙ (and He struck) אֶת־ (-) אַנְשֵׁ֣י (the men) הָעִ֔יר (of the city) מִקָּטֹ֖ן (from small) וְעַד־ (and to) גָּד֑וֹל (great), וַיִּשָּׂתְר֥וּ (and broke forth) לָהֶ֖ם (on them) עֳפָלִים׃ (tumors).

10  וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֛וּ (And they sent) אֶת־ (-) אֲר֥וֹן (the ark) הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (of God) עֶקְר֑וֹן (to Ekron). וַיְהִ֗י (And it came to pass), כְּב֨וֹא (as came) אֲר֤וֹן (the ark) הָאֱלֹהִים֙ (of God) עֶקְר֔וֹן (to Ekron), וַיִּזְעֲק֨וּ (that cried out) הָֽעֶקְרֹנִ֜ים (the Ekronites), לֵאמֹ֗ר (saying), הֵסַ֤בּוּ (They have brought) אֵלַי֙ (to us) אֶת־ (-) אֲרוֹן֙ (the ark) אֱלֹהֵ֣י (of the God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel) לַהֲמִיתֵ֖נִי (to kill me) וְאֶת־ (and) עַמִּֽי׃ (my people).

11  וַיִּשְׁלְח֨וּ (And they sent) וַיַּאַסְפ֜וּ (and gathered together) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) סַרְנֵ֣י (the lords) פְלִשְׁתִּ֗ים (of the Philistines), וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (and said), שַׁלְּח֞וּ (Send away) אֶת־ (-) אֲר֨וֹן (the ark) אֱלֹהֵ֤י (of the God) יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (of Israel), וְיָשֹׁ֣ב (and let it go back) לִמְקֹמ֔וֹ (to its own place), וְלֹֽא־ (so that not) יָמִ֥ית (it does kill) אֹתִ֖י (me) וְאֶת־ (and) עַמִּ֑י (my people).

כִּֽי־ (For) הָיְתָ֤ה (there was) מְהֽוּמַת־ (a destruction) מָ֙וֶת֙ (deadly) בְּכָל־ (throughout all) הָעִ֔יר (the city); כָּבְדָ֥ה (was heavy) מְאֹ֛ד (very) יַ֥ד (the hand) הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים (of God) שָֽׁם׃ (there). 12  וְהָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ (And the men) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (who) לֹא־ (not) מֵ֔תוּ (did die) הֻכּ֖וּ (were stricken) בָּעֳפָלִים (with the tumors), וַתַּ֛עַל (and went up) שַֽׁוְעַ֥ת (the cry) הָעִ֖יר (of the city) הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (to the heavens).