1 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 ¶ And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. 4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon’s house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. 8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither . 9 And it was so , that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
10 ¶ Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. 11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.
Dieva šķirsts pie filistiešiem
1 Kad filistieši bija atņēmuši Dieva šķirstu, tie to nesa no Eben-Ezeras uz Ašdodu. 2 Filistieši ņēma Dieva šķirstu, ienesa to Dāgona namā un nolika līdzās Dāgonam. 3 Kad otrā rītā ašdodieši cēlās, redzi, Dāgons bija nokritis ar seju pie zemes Kunga šķirsta priekšā! Viņi to pacēla un nolika vietā. 4 Nākamajā dienā, rīta agrumā, redzi, Dāgons bija nokritis ar seju pie zemes Kunga šķirsta priekšā, un Dāgona galva un abu roku plaukstas mētājas atsevišķi uz sliekšņa – tam bija palicis tikai rumpis. 5 Tāpēc Dāgona priesteri un neviens, kas nāk Dāgona namā, līdz pat šai dienai nekāpj uz Dāgona sliekšņa Ašdodā.
6 Kunga roka smagi gūlās pār ašdodiešiem un deldēja tos. Viņš sita ar augoņiem gan Ašdodu, gan tās apkārtni. 7 Kad Ašdodas vīri redzēja, kas notiek, tie teica: “Israēla Dieva šķirsts nevar palikt pie mums, jo viņa roka ir nežēlīga pret mums un mūsu dievu Dāgonu.” 8 Tad viņi sūtīja pēc visiem filistiešu augstmaņiem, sapulcināja tos pie sevis un teica: “Ko lai darām ar Israēla Dieva šķirstu?” Tie atbildēja: “Israēla Dieva šķirsts jānēsā apkārt līdz pat Gatai!” Un viņi nēsāja apkārt Israēla Dieva šķirstu.
9 Kad viņi to bija nēsājuši apkārt, Kunga roka sacēla pilsētā milzīgas šausmas. Viņš skāra pilsētniekus no maza līdz lielam, un tiem izsitās augoņi. 10 Tad tie sūtīja Dieva šķirstu uz Ekronu, bet, kad Dieva šķirsts nonāca Ekronā, ekronieši kliedza: “Tie ir atnesuši Israēla Dieva šķirstu pie mums, lai nonāvētu mūs un mūsu ļaudis!” 11 Tad viņi sūtīja pēc visiem filistiešu augstmaņiem, sapulcināja tos un teica: “Sūtiet prom Israēla Dieva šķirstu, lai tas atgriežas savā vietā un nenāvē mūs un mūsu ļaudis!” – jo visā pilsētā valdīja nāvīgas šausmas, un Dieva roka tur bija jo smaga. 12 Tie, kas nenomira, tika sisti ar augoņiem, un pilsētas palīgā saucieni cēlās līdz debesīm.
