Don’t tell it in Gath. Don’t announce it in the streets of Ashkelon. If you do, the Philistine women will be happy. The daughters of the Philistines will rejoice.
The people of Ashdod called all five Philistine kings together and asked them, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” The rulers answered, “Move the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath.” So the Philistines moved it to Gath.
Earlier the Philistines had taken towns from the Israelites, but the Israelites won them back, from Ekron to Gath. They also took back from the Philistines the lands near these towns. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.