And the arkof the LORDwasin the countryof the Philistinessevenmonths. And the Philistinescalledfor the priestsand the diviners, saying, Whatshall we doto the arkof the LORD? tellus wherewithwe shall sendit to his place. And they said, Ifye send awaythe arkof the Godof Israel, sendit notempty; butin any wise returnhim a trespass offering: thenye shall be healed, and it shall be knownto you whyhis handis notremovedfromyou. Then saidthey, What shall be the trespass offeringwhichwe shall returnto him? They answered, Fivegoldenemerods, and fivegoldenmice, according to the numberof the lordsof the Philistines: foroneplague was on you all, and on your lords. Wherefore ye shall makeimagesof your emerods, and imagesof your micethat marthe land; and ye shall givegloryunto the Godof Israel: peradventurehe will lightenhis handfrom offyou, and from offyour gods, and from offyour land. Whereforethen do ye hardenyour hearts, asthe Egyptiansand Pharaohhardenedtheir hearts? whenhe had wrought wonderfullyamong them, did they notlet the people go, and they departed? Nowtherefore makeanewcart, and taketwomilchkine, onwhichthere hath comenoyoke, and tiethe kineto the cart, and bringtheir calveshomefromthem: And takethe arkof the LORD, and layit uponthe cart; and putthe jewelsof gold, whichye returnhim for a trespass offering, in a cofferby the sidethereof; and send it away, that it may go. And see, ifit goeth upby the wayof his own coastto Beth-shemesh, then hehath doneus thisgreatevil: but ifnot, then we shall knowthat it is nothis hand that smoteus: it was a chance that happenedto us. And the mendidso; and tooktwomilchkine, and tiedthem to the cart, and shut uptheir calvesat home: And they laidthe arkof the LORDuponthe cart, and the cofferwiththe miceof goldand the imagesof their emerods. And the kinetook the straightwaytothe wayof Beth-shemesh, and went alongthehighway, lowingas they went, and turned not aside to the right handor to the left; and the lordsof the Philistineswentafterthem untothe borderof Beth-shemesh. And they of Beth-shemesh were reapingtheir wheatharvestin the valley: and they lifted uptheir eyes, and sawthe ark, and rejoicedto see it . And the cartcameintothe fieldof Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stoodthere, where there was a greatstone: and they cleavedthe woodof the cart, and offeredthe kinea burnt offeringunto the LORD. And the Levitestook downthe arkof the LORD, and the cofferthat was withit, whereinthe jewelsof gold were , and put them onthe greatstone: and the menof Beth-shemesh offeredburnt offeringsand sacrificedsacrificesthe samedayunto the LORD. And when the fivelordsof the Philistineshad seen it , they returnedto Ekronthe sameday. And these are the goldenemerodswhichthe Philistinesreturned for a trespass offeringunto the LORD; for Ashdodone, for Gazaone, for Askelonone, for Gathone, for Ekronone; And the goldenmice, according to the numberof allthe citiesof the Philistines belonging to the fivelords, both of fenced cities, and ofcountryvillages, even untothe great stone of Abel, whereonthey set downthe arkof the LORD: which stone remaineth untothisdayin the fieldof Joshua, the Beth-shemite. And he smotethe menof Beth-shemesh, becausethey had lookedinto the arkof the LORD, even he smoteof the peoplefiftythousandand threescore and tenmen: and the peoplelamented, becausethe LORDhad smitten many of the peoplewith a greatslaughter. And the menof Beth-shemesh said, Whois ableto standbeforethisholyLORDGod? and towhomshall he go upfromus? And they sentmessengerstothe inhabitantsof Kirjath-jearim, saying, The Philistineshave brought againthe arkof the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it uptoyou.