Today is the 9th day of May. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible.

I am Brian. It is great to be here with you today. It is wonderful to have a place to

gather here around the global campfire. And it is beautiful. The reason that we have

gathered today. Which is to take the next step forward in our lives together. And to take the next

step forward in the scriptures as we continue to navigate through our journey this year.

So obviously we will be picking up where we left off, which is what we do every day.

And that will lead us back into the book of 1 Samuel. Today, 1 Samuel, 5, 6 and 7.

Now the Philistines had captured the Ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashtod.

The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the Temple of Deagon,

where they positioned it beside Deagon. When the residents of Ashtod got up early the next day,

Deagon was lying on the ground before the Ark of the Lord. So they took Deagon and set him back

in his place. But when they got up early the following day, Deagon was again lying on the ground

before the Ark of the Lord. The head of Deagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying

at the threshold. Only Deagon's body was left intact. For this reason to this very day,

neither Deagon's priests nor anyone else who enters Deagon's temple steps on Deagon's

threshold in Ashtod. The Lord attacked the residents of Ashtod severely, bringing devastation on them.

He struck the people of both Ashtod and the surrounding area with sores. When the people of Ashtod

saw what was happening, they said, the Ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us,

for he has attacked both us and our God, Deagon. So they assembled all the leaders of the Philistines

and asked, what should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel? They replied, the Ark of the God

of Israel should be moved to God. So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel. But after it had been

moved, the Lord attacked that city as well, causing a great deal of panic. He struck all the people

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