1 Samuel 5

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they carried it from Ebenezer to Ashdod;	1 When the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer 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.	2 Taking the ark of God, the Philistines put it in the temple of Dagon, setting it down beside Dagon.
3 And when the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place.	3 When the people of Ashdod got up the fol owing morning and went to the temple of Dagon, there layDagon face down on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place.
4 But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off upon the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.	4 But when they got up on the fol owing morning, there lay Dagon face down on the ground before the arkof Yahweh, and Dagon's head and two hands lay severed on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left inits place.
5 This is why the priests of Dagon and all who enter the house of Dagon do not tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.	5 This is why the priests of Dagon and the people frequenting Dagon's temple never step on Dagon'sthreshold in Ashdod, even today.
6 The hand of the LORD was heavy upon the people of Ashdod, and he terrified and afflicted them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory.	6 Yahweh oppressed the people of Ashdod; he ravaged them and afflicted them with tumours -- Ashdodand its territory. When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening they said,
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us; for his hand is heavy upon us and upon Dagon our god."	7 'The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, for he is oppressing us and our god Dagon.'
8 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" They answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be brought around to Gath." So they brought the ark of the God of Israel there.	8 So they summoned al the Philistine chiefs to them, and said, 'What shal we do with the ark of the Godof Israel?' They decided, 'The ark of the God of Israel shal be taken away to Gath.' So they took the ark of theGod of Israel to Gath.
9 But after they had brought it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city, causing a very great panic, and he afflicted the men of the city, both young and old, so that tumors broke out upon them.	9 But after they had taken it there, Yahweh oppressed that town and a great panic broke out; afflicting thepeople of the town from highest to lowest, he brought them out in tumours too.
10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. But when the ark of God came to Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, "They have brought around to us the ark of the God of Israel to slay us and our people."	10 They then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it came to Ekron the Ekronites shouted, 'They havebrought me the ark of the God of Israel to kil me and my people!'
11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not slay us and our people." For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there;	11 They summoned al the Philistine chiefs and said, 'Send the ark of the God of Israel away; let it goback to where it belongs and not kill me and my people' -- for there was mortal panic throughout the town; Godwas oppressing them.
12 the men who did not die were stricken with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven.	12 The people who did not die were afflicted with tumours, and the wailing from the town rose to the sky.