I Samuel, chapter 5, verses 1 through 8: When

the Philistines captured the ark of God, they

brought 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. 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. 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 on the

threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left

to him. 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. 6 The hand of the LORD was

heavy against the people of Ashdod, and he

terrified and afflicted them with tumors,

both Ashdod and its territory. 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 hard

against us and against Dagon our god.” 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.