The Ark Returned to Israel
1And the arkof the LORDwas in the countryof the Philistinessevenmonths.2And the Philistinescalledfor the priestsand the diviners,saying,What shall we doto the arkof the LORD?tellus wherewith we shall sendit to his place.3And they said,If ye send awaythe arkof the Godof Israel,sendit not empty;but in any wisereturnhim a trespass offering:then ye shall be healed,and it shall be knownto you why his handis not removedfrom you.4Then saidthey, What [shall be] the trespass offeringwhich we shall returnto him? They answered,Fivegoldenemerods,and fivegoldenmice,[according to] the numberof the lordsof the Philistines:for oneplague[was] on you all, and on your lords.5Wherefore ye shall makeimagesof your emerods,and imagesof your micethat marthe land;and ye shall givegloryunto the Godof Israel:peradventure he will lightenhis handfrom off you, and from off your gods,and from off your land.6Wherefore then do ye hardenyour hearts,as the Egyptiansand Pharaohhardenedtheir hearts?when he had wrought wonderfullyamong them, did they not let the people go,and they departed?7Now therefore makeanewcart,and taketwomilchkine,on which there hath comeno yoke,and tiethe kineto the cart,and bringtheir calveshomefrom them:8And takethe arkof the LORD,and layit upon the cart;and putthe jewelsof gold,which ye returnhim [for] a trespass offering,in a cofferby the sidethereof; and send it away,that it may go.9And see,if it goeth upby the wayof his own coastto Bethshemesh,[then] he hath doneus this greatevil:but if not, then we shall knowthat [it is] not his hand[that] smoteus: it [was] a chance[that] happened to us.
10And the mendid so;and tooktwomilchkine,and tiedthem to the cart,and shut uptheir calvesat home:11And they laidthe arkof the LORDupon the cart,and the cofferwith the miceof goldand the imagesof their emerods.12And the kinetook the straightwayto the wayof Bethshemesh,[and] went alongthe highway,lowingas they went,and turned not aside[to] the right handor [to] the left;and the lordsof the Philistineswentafterthem unto the borderof Bethshemesh.
13And [they of] Bethshemesh[were] reapingtheir wheatharvestin the valley:and they lifted uptheir eyes,and sawthe ark,and rejoicedto see[it].14And the cartcameinto the fieldof Joshua,a Bethshemite,and stoodthere, where [there was] a greatstone:and they clavethe woodof the cart,and offeredthe kinea burnt offeringunto the LORD.15And the Levitestook downthe arkof the LORD,and the cofferthat [was] with it, wherein the jewelsof gold[were], and put[them] on the greatstone:and the menof Bethshemeshofferedburnt offeringsand sacrificedsacrificesthe same dayunto the LORD.16And when the fivelordsof the Philistineshad seen[it], they returnedto Ekronthe same day.
17And these [are] the goldenemerodswhich the Philistinesreturned[for] a trespass offeringunto the LORD;for Ashdodone,for Gazaone,for Askelonone,for Gathone,for Ekronone;18And the goldenmice,[according to] the numberof all the citiesof the Philistines[belonging] to the fivelords,[both] of fencedcities,and of countryvillages,even unto the great[stone of] Abel,whereon they set downthe arkof the LORD:[which stone remaineth] unto this dayin the fieldof Joshua,the Bethshemite.
19And he smotethe menof Bethshemesh,because they had lookedinto the arkof the LORD,even he smoteof the peoplefiftythousandand threescore and tenmen:and the peoplelamented,because the LORDhad smitten[many] of the peoplewith a greatslaughter.20And the menof Bethshemeshsaid,Who is ableto standbeforethis holyLORDGod?and to whom shall he go upfrom us?21And they sentmessengersto the inhabitantsof Kirjathjearim,saying,The Philistineshave brought againthe arkof the LORD;come ye down,[and] fetch it upto you.
