1 Samuel 5 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

The Philistines captured the chest of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

The Philistines took the chest of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, setting it down next to Dagon.

When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon — fallen face-down on the ground in front of the chest of Yahweh. So they picked Dagon up and put him back in his place.

But when they got up early the next morning, Dagon had fallen face-down on the ground again in front of the chest of Yahweh. This time, Dagon's head and both of his hands were broken off, lying on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left.

That's why to this day, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters Dagon's temple in Ashdod won't step on the threshold.

Yahweh's hand came down heavy on the people of Ashdod. He devastated them and struck them with tumors — both Ashdod and the surrounding territory.

When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The chest of the God of Israel can't stay here with us, because his hand is crushing us and our god Dagon."

So they sent word and gathered all the Philistine rulers together and asked, "What should we do with the chest of the God of Israel?" They decided, "Let the chest of the God of Israel be moved to Gath." So they moved the chest of the God of Israel there.

But after they moved it there, Yahweh's hand struck the city, causing massive panic. He struck the people of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, and tumors broke out all over them.

So they sent the chest of God to Ekron. But when the chest of God arrived at Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They've brought the chest of the God of Israel here to kill us and our people!"

They sent word and gathered all the Philistine rulers together and said, "Send the chest of the God of Israel away! Let it go back to its own place so it doesn't kill us and our people!" Because a death-bringing panic had gripped the entire city — God's hand was extremely heavy there.

The people who didn't die were struck with tumors, and the city's cry for help went up to the heavens.