1. And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2. And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
3. And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4. Then said they, What {cf15I shall be} the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, {cf15I according to} the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague {cf15I was} on you all, and on your lords.
5. Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6. Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7. Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8. And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him {cf15I for} a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9. And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, {cf15I then} he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that {cf15I it is} not his hand {cf15I that} smote us: it {cf15I was} a chance {cf15I that} happened to us.
10. And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11. And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12. And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, {cf15I and} went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside {cf15I to} the right hand or {cf15I to} the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.
13. And {cf15I they of} Bethshemesh {cf15I were} reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see {cf15I it}.
14. And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where {cf15I there was} a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.
15. And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that {cf15I was} with it, wherein the jewels of gold {cf15I were}, and put {cf15I them} on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
16. And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen {cf15I it}, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17. And these {cf15I are} the golden emerods which the Philistines returned {cf15I for} a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18. And the golden mice, {cf15I according to} the number of all the cities of the Philistines {cf15I belonging} to the five lords, {cf15I both} of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great {cf15I stone of} Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: {cf15I which stone remaineth} unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.
19. And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten {cf15I many} of the people with a great slaughter.
20. And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21. And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, {cf15I and} fetch it up to you.