The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. V.

[verse 1] Philistien forsothe token the arke of God, and beren it fro the stoon of help into Azoth. [verse 2] And Philistien token the arke of God, and brouȝten it into the temple of Dagon, and setten it beside Dagon. [verse 3] And whanne Azothis weren rysen eerli the tother day, loo! Dagon lay redi in the eerth before the ark of the Lord. And thei token Dagon, and setten it aȝen in his place. [verse 4] And eft, eerly the tother day rysynge, thei fonden Dagon liynge vpon his face in the erthe before the arke of the Lord. Forsothe the heed of Dagon, and the two palmys of his hoondis weren kut awey vpon the [verse 5] thresshwold; forsothe the stok of Dagon aloone lafte in his place. For this cause the preestis of Dagon, and alle that goon into his temple, treden not vpon the thresshwold of Dagon in Azoth vnto the

day that is nowe. [verse 6] Forsothe the hoond of the Lord is greggid vpon the Azothis, and he wastide hem, and he smoot A|zothe and his coostis in the more priue party of the arsis; and the towns and feeldis booyleden out in the mydil of that [the A.] regioun, and myis ben born; and there is doon a greet confusioun of deeth in the cytee. [verse 7] Men forsothe of Azoth seynge siche a maner veniaunce seiden, Dwel not the arke of God of Yrael anentis vs; for hard is his hoond vpon vs, and vpon Dagon oure god. [verse 8] And seendynge thei gedreden to hem self alle the maystris of Philistiens, and seiden, What shulen we doo of the arke of God of Yrael? And Gethey answerden, The arke of God of Yrael be turned about; and thei turn|eden about the arke of God of Yrael. [verse 9] Forsothe hem turnynge it about, the hoond of the Lord of a greet slauȝter wel mych was doon vpon alle the cytees; and he smoot the men of ech cytee fro litil vnto more, and the arsroppis of hem goynge out stonken; and Gethey wenten into counseil, and maden to hem letheren seetis. [verse 10] Thanne thei senten the arke of the Lord into Acharon. And whanne the arke of the Lord was comen into Acharon, Acharonytis cryeden out, sei|ynge, Thei han brouȝt to vs the arke of God of Yrael, that he sle vs and oure puple. [verse 11] Thei senten thanne, and gedriden togidre alle the maystrys of Philistiens; the which seiden, Leeue ȝe the arke of God of Yrael, and be it turned aȝen into his place, and sle it not vs with oure puple. [verse 12] Forsothe dreed of deth was maad in alle the cytees, and moost greuous was greetli the hoond of the Lord. Forsothe the men, that weren not deed, weren smyten in the priuyer party of the arsis, and the ȝellynge of ech cytee stiede vp into heuene.