Every time they would go into battle, the LORD was against them, just as he had said he would be. They were in great distress.

The LORD punished the people of Ashdod severely and terrified them. He punished them and the people in the surrounding territory by causing them to have tumors.

But after it arrived there, the LORD punished that city too and caused a great panic. He punished them with tumors which developed in all the people of the city, young and old alike.

So again they sent for all the Philistine kings and said, "Send the Covenant Box of Israel back to its own place, so that it won't kill us and our families." There was panic throughout the city because God was punishing them so severely.

So the Philistines were defeated, and the LORD prevented them from invading Israel's territory as long as Samuel lived.

Day and night you punished me, LORD; my strength was completely drained, as moisture is dried up by the summer heat.

So he ended their days like a breath and their lives with sudden disaster.

We are destroyed by your anger; we are terrified by your fury.

Our life is cut short by your anger; it fades away like a whisper.

So he have them a solomn warning that he would make them die in the desert

When you see this happen, you will be glad; it will make you strong and healthy. Then you will know that I, the LORD, help those who obey me, and I show my anger against my enemies."

But even then God was not pleased with most of them, and so their dead bodies were scattered over the desert.