1 Samuel 5:7-9

GOD’S WORD Translation

⁷ When the people of Ashdod realized what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us, because their God is dealing harshly with us and our god Dagon.” ⁸ The people of Ashdod called together all the Philistine rulers. “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” they asked.

“The ark of the God of Israel must be taken to Gath,” the rulers said.^[a] So the people took the ark of the God of Israel there.

⁹ But after they had moved it,^[b] the Lord threw the city into a great panic: He struck all the important and unimportant people in the city, and they were covered with tumors.