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.
A Arca em Asdode e Ecrom
1Depois que os filisteus tomaram a arca de Deus, eles a levaram de Ebenézer para Asdode 2e a colocaram dentro do templo de Dagom, ao lado de sua estátua. 3Quando o povo de Asdode se levantou na madrugada do dia seguinte, lá estava Dagom caído com o rosto em terra, diante da arca do Senhor! Eles levantaram Dagom e o colocaram de volta em seu lugar. 4Mas, na manhã seguinte, quando se levantaram de madrugada, lá estava Dagom caído com o rosto em terra, diante da arca do Senhor! Sua cabeça e mãos tinham sido quebradas e estavam sobre a soleira; só o seu corpo ficou no lugar. 5Por isso, até hoje, os sacerdotes de Dagom e todos os que entram em seu templo, em Asdode, não pisam na soleira.
6Depois disso a mão do Senhor pesou sobre o povo de Asdode e dos arredores, trazendo devastação sobre eles e afligindo-os com tumores.5.6 A Septuaginta e a Vulgata acrescentam E ratos surgiram na região, e a morte e a destruição estavam por toda a cidade. 7Quando os homens de Asdode viram o que estava acontecendo, disseram: “A arca do deus de Israel não deve ficar aqui conosco, pois a mão dele pesa sobre nós e sobre nosso deus Dagom”. 8Então reuniram todos os governantes dos filisteus e lhes perguntaram: “O que faremos com a arca do deus de Israel?”
Eles responderam: “Levem a arca do deus de Israel para Gate”. E então levaram a arca do Deus de Israel.
9Mas, quando a arca chegou, a mão do Senhor castigou aquela cidade e lhe trouxe grande pânico. Ele afligiu o povo da cidade, jovens e velhos, com uma epidemia de tumores5.9 Ou com tumores na virilha. 10Então enviaram a arca de Deus para Ecrom.
Quando a arca de Deus estava entrando na cidade de Ecrom, o povo começou a gritar: “Eles trouxeram a arca do deus de Israel para cá a fim de matar a nós e a nosso povo”. 11Então reuniram todos os governantes dos filisteus e disseram: “Levem embora a arca do deus de Israel; que ela volte ao seu lugar; caso contrário ela5.11 Ou ele matará a nós e a nosso povo”. Pois havia pânico mortal em toda a cidade; a mão de Deus pesava muito sobre ela. 12Aqueles que não morreram foram afligidos com tumores, e o clamor da cidade subiu até o céu.
