約櫃在非利士人手中
1非利士人將擄來的上帝的約櫃從以便以謝抬到亞實突城， 2把它抬進大袞廟，放在大袞神像旁邊。 3第二天早上，亞實突人起來，發現大袞神像倒在耶和華的約櫃前，面伏於地，他們就把大袞神像扶起來，放回原處。 4次日早上起來，他們又發現大袞神像倒在耶和華的約櫃前，面伏於地，頭和雙手都在門檻處折斷了，只剩下軀幹。 5因此，大袞的祭司和所有進亞實突大袞廟的人至今都不踏廟的門檻。 6耶和華重重地懲罰亞實突及附近村莊的居民，使他們都患上毒瘡。 7亞實突人見此情形，就說：「以色列上帝的約櫃不能留在我們這裡，因為上帝重重地懲罰我們和我們的大袞神。」 8亞實突人召集了非利士所有的首領，問他們：「我們如何處理以色列上帝的約櫃？」他們答道：「把它送到迦特去。」於是，眾人把以色列上帝的約櫃送到迦特。 9約櫃抵達迦特的時候，耶和華攻擊那城，使那裡的男女老少都患了毒瘡，全城驚恐不已。 10於是，他們把約櫃送往以革倫。以革倫的人看見上帝的約櫃到了，就驚叫道：「他們把以色列上帝的約櫃帶來是要害死我們和我們的人民！」 11他們派人召集非利士的首領，說：「把以色列上帝的約櫃送回原處吧，免得它殺害我們和我們的人民。」因為上帝重重地懲罰他們，全城都籠罩在死亡的恐懼中。 12那些沒有死的人都飽受毒瘡的折磨，城中的哭喊聲上達於天。
The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron
1The Philistines had captured the ark of God. They took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2They carried the ark into the temple of their god Dagon. They set it down beside the statue of Dagon. 3The people of Ashdod got up early the next day. They saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. So they picked up the statue of Dagon. They put it back in its place. 4But the following morning when they got up, they saw the statue of Dagon. There it was, lying on the ground again! It had fallen on its face in front of the ark of the Lord. Its head and hands had been broken off. Only the body of the statue was left. Its head and hands were lying in the doorway of the temple. 5That’s why to this day no one steps on the bottom part of the doorway of Dagon’s temple at Ashdod. Not even the priests of Dagon step there.
6The Lord’s power was against the people of Ashdod and the settlements near it. He destroyed them. He made them suffer with growths in their bodies. 7The people of Ashdod saw what was happening. They said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us. His power is against us and against our god Dagon.” 8So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines. They asked them, “What should we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
The rulers answered, “Have the ark moved to Gath.” So they moved it.
9But after the people of Ashdod had moved the ark, the Lord’s power was against Gath. That threw its people into a great panic. The Lord made them break out with growths in their bodies. It happened to young people and old people alike. 10So the ark of God was sent to Ekron.
As the ark was entering Ekron, the people of the city cried out. They shouted, “They’ve brought the ark of the god of Israel to us. They want to kill us and our people.” 11So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines. They said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away. Let it go back to its own place. If you don’t, it will kill us and our people.” The death of so many people had filled the city with panic. God’s power was against the city. 12Those who didn’t die suffered with growths in their bodies. The people of Ekron cried out to heaven for help.
