1 Samuel 5 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

The Holy Box Troubles the Philistines

5 The Philistines carried God’s Holy Box, from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 They carried God’s Holy Box into the temple of Dagon and put it next to the statue of Dagon. 3 The next morning, the people of Ashdod got up and found Dagon lying face down on the ground before the Lord’s Box.

The people of Ashdod put the statue of Dagon back in its place. 4 But the next morning when the people of Ashdod got up, they found Dagon on the ground again. Dagon had fallen down before the Lord’s Holy Box. This time, Dagon’s head and hands were broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only his body was still in one piece. 5 That is why, even today, the priests or other people refuse to step on the threshold when they enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod.

6 The Lord made life hard for the people of Ashdod and their neighbors. He gave them many troubles and caused them to get tumors. He also sent mice to them. The mice ran all over their ships and then onto their land. The people in the city were very afraid.[a] 7 They saw what was happening and said, “The Holy Box of the God of Israel can’t stay here. God is punishing us and Dagon our god.”

8 The people of Ashdod called the five Philistine rulers together and asked them, “What must we do with the Holy Box of the God of Israel?”

The rulers answered, “Move the Holy Box of the God of Israel to Gath.” So the Philistines moved God’s Holy Box.

9 But after the Philistines had moved God’s Holy Box to Gath, the Lord punished that city. The people became very frightened. God caused many troubles for all the people—young and old. He caused the people in Gath to have tumors. 10 So the Philistines sent God’s Holy Box to Ekron.

But when God’s Holy Box came into Ekron, the people of Ekron complained. They said, “Why are you bringing the Box of the God of Israel to our city Ekron? Do you want to kill us and our people?” 11 The people of Ekron called all the Philistine rulers together and said to the rulers, “Send the Box of the God of Israel back home before it kills us and our people!”

The people of Ekron were deathly afraid because God severely punished them there. 12 Many people died, and those who did not, had tumors. The people of Ekron cried loudly to heaven.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 5:6 He also sent … afraid This is from the ancient Greek version.

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1 Samuel 5 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

5 And the Philistines have taken the ark of God, and bring it in from Eben-Ezer to Ashdod, 2 and the Philistines take the ark of God and bring it into the house of Dagon, and set it near Dagon. 3 And the Ashdodites rise early on the morrow, and lo, Dagon is fallen on its face to the earth, before th...
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1 Samuel 5 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

5 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and bare it away from the stone of help into Ashdod. (And the Philistines took the Ark of God, and carried it away from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.) 2 And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the temple of Dagon, and setted it beside Dagon. 3 ...
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1 Samuel 5 - World English Bible (WEB)

5 Now the Philistines had taken God’s ark, and they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 The Philistines took God’s ark, and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before Y...
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1 Samuel 5 - The Voice (VOICE)

5 The Philistines brought the captured covenant chest of the True God from Ebenezer to one of their capital cities called Ashdod. 2 There the Philistines took the chest of the True God into the house of their god, Dagon, and placed it in a place of honor beside the idol of Dagon. 3 When the people...
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1 Samuel 5 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

The Ark Afflicts the Philistines5 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God and they brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod. 2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it to the temple of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3 But when the Ashdodites arose early next morning, to everyone’s su...
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1 Samuel 5 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Philistines and the Ark5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they carried it from Ebene′zer to Ashdod; 2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon ...
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1 Samuel 5 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Philistines and the Ark5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they carried it from Ebene′zer to Ashdod; 2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon ...
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1 Samuel 5 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Philistines and the Ark5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod; 2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fa...
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1 Samuel 5 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Philistines and the Ark5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod;(A)2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon.(B)3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, ...
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1 Samuel 5 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Ark in Philistia5 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, ...
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1 Samuel 5 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Philistines and the Special Box5 The Philistines took the special box of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 They took the special box of God into the house of Dagon, and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites got up early the next morning, they saw that Dagon had fallen on his f...
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1 Samuel 5 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Philistines and the Ark5 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it (A)from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of (B)Dagon[a] and set it by Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dago...
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1 Samuel 5 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

The ark in Ashdod and Ekron5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground befo...
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1 Samuel 5 - New International Version (NIV)

The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer(A) to Ashdod.(B) 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.(C) 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen(D) on his face on the g...
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1 Samuel 5 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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1 Samuel 5 - New English Translation (NET)

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