1 Samuel 5:6-12

6Now 1the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and 2He made them feel devastated and struck them with 3tumors, 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.”

8So they sent word and 4gathered all the governors of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Have the ark of the God of Israel 5brought to Gath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel away.

9After they had taken it away, 6the hand of the Lord was against the city, creating a very great panic; and He struck the people of the city, from the young to the old, so that 7tumors broke out on them.

10So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to 8us, to kill 9us and 10our people!”

11Therefore they 11sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill 12us and 13our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; 14the hand of God was very heavy there.

12And the people who did not die were struck with tumors, and 15the outcry of the city went up to heaven.