[9] And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote of the city, both small and great, in their secret parts. [10] Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people. [11] So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy [12] that died not were smitten and the cry of the city went up to heaven.