1 Samuel 5:1-7

1Now the Philistines took the ark of God and 1brought it from Ebenezer to 2Ashdod. 2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into 3the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, 4Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and 5set him back in his place. 4But when they got up early the next morning, behold, 6Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; 7only the torso of Dagon was left. 5For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house 8step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6Now 9the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and 10He made them feel devastated and struck them with 11tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.”