5:1 非利士人將上帝的約櫃從以便以謝抬到亞實突。
5:2 非利士人將上帝的約櫃抬進大袞廟，放在大袞的旁邊。
5:3 次日清早，亞實突人起來，見大袞仆倒在耶和華的約櫃前，臉伏於地，就把大袞仍立在原處。
5:4 又次日清早起來，見大袞仆倒在耶和華的約櫃前，臉伏於地，並且大袞的頭和兩手都在門檻上折斷，只剩下大袞的殘體。
5:5 （因此，大袞的祭司和一切進亞實突、大袞廟的人都不踏大袞廟的門檻，直到今日。）
5:6 耶和華的手重重加在亞實突人身上，敗壞他們，使他們生痔瘡。亞實突和亞實突的四境都是如此。
5:7 亞實突人見這光景，就說：「以色列上帝的約櫃不可留在我們這裡，因為他的手重重加在我們和我們神大袞的身上」；
5:8 就打發人去請非利士的眾首領來聚集，問他們說：「我們向以色列上帝的約櫃應當怎樣行呢？」他們回答說：「可以將以色列上帝的約櫃運到迦特去。」於是將以色列上帝的約櫃運到那裡去。
5:9 運到之後，耶和華的手攻擊那城，使那城的人大大驚慌，無論大小都生痔瘡。
5:10 他們就把上帝的約櫃送到以革倫。上帝的約櫃到了，以革倫人就喊嚷起來說：「他們將以色列上帝的約櫃運到我們這裡，要害我們和我們的眾民！」
5:11 於是打發人去請非利士的眾首領來，說：「願你們將以色列上帝的約櫃送回原處，免得害了我們和我們的眾民！」原來上帝的手重重攻擊那城，城中的人有因驚慌而死的；
5:12 未曾死的人都生了痔瘡。合城呼號，聲音上達於天。
After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.
6 The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors.[a] 7 When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”
They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
9 But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.[b] 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” 11 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it[c] will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. 12 Those who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.
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上帝的約櫃雖然不是上帝本身，但是上帝仍然要彰顯祂的威嚴，讓非利士人看見上帝不像他們的神明，也不像那些偶像，祂是有能力的，祂可以賜福也可以降禍，是沒有任何能力可以阻擋的，即使是非利士人戰勝以色列人，上帝仍然是勝過個邦國的神明！
上帝是大有能力，並且是獨行奇事上帝！卻是不受人限制的上帝，人也無法限制上帝要做什麼！所以，非常不贊同有些說法說到：「不要讓你的想法限制上帝的作為！」這樣說起來好像上帝很小，受人的思想來限制！還有教導人說：「你想要上帝賜給你什麼，就要心中一值想像，讓它具體浮現在你的心中，上帝要你明確的禱告才會賜給你！」仔細想想這樣的教導並非聖經來的，聖經教導的是：「你們不可效法他們；因為你們沒有祈求以先，你們所需用的，你們的父早已知道了。」（馬太福音6:8）
所以，要再次強調，我們不要讓一些無意義不合聖經的說法充斥在我們的頭腦，要好好思考上帝在聖經所啟示的是甚麼，不要人云亦云，隨著世俗之風飄東飄西，毫無定向！我們要像保羅所說的：「豈不知在場上賽跑的都跑，但得獎賞的只有一人？你們也當這樣跑，好叫你們得著獎賞。凡較力爭勝的，諸事都有節制，他們不過是要得能壞的冠冕；我們卻是要得不能壞的冠冕。所以，我奔跑不像無定向的；我鬥拳不像打空氣的。」（哥林多前書9:24-26）
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