7When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The Ark of the God of Israel cannot stay with us, for His hand is harsh against us and our god Dagon.”
8So they gathered all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” They answered, “Let the Ark of the God of Israel be moved to Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel.
9But after they had moved it, the hand of the LORD came against the city of Gath, causing great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with tumors.
10Then they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. But when the Ark reached Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, saying, “They have brought the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us and our people!”
11So they sent word and gathered all the rulers of the Philistines and said, 'Send the Ark of the God of Israel away, let it return to its place so that it will not kill us and our people.' For there was a deadly panic throughout the whole city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12The men who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.