The Philistines and the Ark
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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 and set it by Dagon.
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And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, c fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and d set it in its place again.
4
And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. e The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left of it.
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Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house f tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
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But the g hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He h ravaged them and struck them with i tumors, both Ashdod and its j territory.
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And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, "The ark of the k God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god."
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Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the l lords of the Philistines, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to m Gath." So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away.
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So it was, after they had carried it away, that n the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them.
10
Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!"
11
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people." For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12
And the men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the o cry of the city went up to heaven.
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Cross References
Psalms 26:8
LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.
Psalms 78:61
And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy's hand.
Jeremiah 2:11
Has a nation changed its gods, Which are not gods? But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 4:1
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
1 Samuel 7:12
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us.
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Cross References
Judges 16:23 - 30
Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: "Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!
1 Chronicles 10:8 - 10
So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
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Cross References
Isaiah 19:1
The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.
Isaiah 46:1
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops; Their idols were on the beasts and on the cattle. Your carriages were heavily loaded, A burden to the weary beast.
Isaiah 46:2
They stoop, they bow down together; They could not deliver the burden, But have themselves gone into captivity.
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Cross References
Isaiah 46:7
They bear it on the shoulder, they carry it And set it in its place, and it stands; From its place it shall not move. Though one cries out to it, yet it cannot answer Nor save him out of his trouble.
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Cross References
Jeremiah 50:2
"Declare among the nations, Proclaim, and set up a standard; Proclaim - do not conceal it - Say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed. Merodach is broken in pieces; Her idols are humiliated, Her images are broken in pieces.'
Ezekiel 6:4
Then your altars shall be desolate, your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
Ezekiel 6:6
In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
Micah 1:7
All her carved images shall be beaten to pieces, And all her pay as a harlot shall be burned with the fire; All her idols I will lay desolate, For she gathered it from the pay of a harlot, And they shall return to the pay of a harlot.
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Cross References
Zephaniah 1:9
In the same day I will punish All those who leap over the threshold, Who fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
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Cross References
Exodus 9:3
Behold, the hand of the LORD will be on your ca...
Deuteronomy 2:15
For indeed the hand of the LORD was against the...
1 Samuel 5:7
And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they...
1 Samuel 7:13
So the Philistines were subdued, and they did n...
Psalms 32:4
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; ...
Psalms 145:20
The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all th...
Psalms 147:6
The LORD lifts up the humble; He casts the wick...
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Cross References
1 Samuel 6:5
Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:27
The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed.
Psalms 78:66
And He beat back His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach.
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Cross References
Joshua 15:46
From Ekron to the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages.
Joshua 15:47
Ashdod with its towns and villages, Gaza with its towns and villages - as far as the Brook of Egypt and the Great Sea with its coastline.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 6:5
Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.
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Cross References
1 Samuel 6:4
Then they said, "What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?" They answered, "Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords.
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Cross References
Joshua 11:22
None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 2:15
For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the midst of the camp until they were consumed.
1 Samuel 5:11
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people." For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
1 Samuel 7:13
So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
1 Samuel 12:15
However, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you, as it was against your fathers.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.