When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place.
So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying,“ They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!”Therefore they sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said,“ Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill us and our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.