<p class="bodytext">Ekron and its surrounding towns<n id="1" /> and settlements;

The five leaders of the Philistines watched what was happening and then returned to Ekron on the same day.p>

So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.p> <p class="bodytext">But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron, the residents of Ekron cried out saying, &#8220;They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here<n id="1" /> to kill our<n id="2" /> people!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">Then the men of Israel and Judah charged forward, shouting a battle cry.<n id="1" /> They chased the Philistines to the valley<n id="2" /> and to the very gates of Ekron. The Philistine corpses lay fallen along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron.

It then extended to the slope of Ekron to the north, went toward Shikkeron, crossed to Mount Baalah, extended to Jabneel, and ended at the sea.p>

The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">I will remove<n id="1" /> the ruler<n id="2" /> from Ashdod,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the one who holds the royal scepter from Ashkelon.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">I will strike Ekron<n id="5" /> with my hand;<n id="6" />p> <p class="poetry">the rest of the Philistines will also die.&#8221;<n id="7" />p> <p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> has spoken!p>

from the Shihor River<n id="1" /> east of<n id="2" /> Egypt northward to the territory of Ekron (it is regarded as Canaanite territory),<n id="3" /> including the area belonging to the five Philistine lords who ruled in Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, as well as Avvite land<n id="4" />

Ahaziah fell through a window lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria<n id="1" /> and was injured. He sent messengers with these orders,<n id="2" /> &#8220;Go, ask<n id="3" /> Baal Zebub,<n id="4" /> the god of Ekron, if I will survive this injury.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">But the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s angelic messenger told Elijah the Tishbite, &#8220;Get up, go to meet the messengers from the king of Samaria. Say this to them: &#8216;You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are on your way to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub the god of Ekron.<n id="1" />

the foreigners living in Egypt;<n id="1" /> all the kings of the land of Uz;<n id="2" /> all the kings of the land of the Philistines,<n id="3" /> the people of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, the people who had been left alive from Ashdod;<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">Elijah<n id="1" /> said to the king,<n id="2" /> &#8220;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says, &#8216;You sent messengers to seek an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron. You must think there is no God in Israel from whom you can seek an oracle!<n id="3" /> Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="4" />p>

They replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;A man came up to meet us. He told us, &#8220;Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, &#8216;This is what the <sc>Lordsc> says: &#8220;You must think there is no God in Israel! That explains why you are sending for an oracle from Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron.<n id="2" /> Therefore you will not leave the bed you lie on, for you will certainly die.&#8221;&#8217;&#8221;