6 But the hand of Yahweh was heavy on them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its borders.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel will not remain with us; for his hand is intense on us, and on Dagon our god.
8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them, 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 about to Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel [there].
9 And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of Yahweh was against the city with a very great discomfiture: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke out on them.
10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.
11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it doesn't slay us, and our people. For there was a deadly discomfiture throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.