with the ark of the covenant of God, Hophni and Phinehas.

And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD was come into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth resounded.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said: What is the noise of this great shouting in the camp of the Eberians? And when they heard that the ark of the LORD
was come into the camp,

And they were afraid, and said: God is come into the camp: and they said, Woe is us: for it was not so before.

woe is us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote Egypt with all manner of plague in the wilderness.

Be ye therefore men of good courage, O ye Philistines, that ye serve not the Ebrams, as they have served you. Be men, and fight.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and every man fled to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter: and there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

And one of Benjamin ran out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, having rent his clothes, and having sprinkled earth upon his head.

And, behold, when he was come in, Eli sat upon the throne to look toward the way: for his heart was troubled over the ark of God. And when the man was come into the city, he told it: and all the city cried out.

And when Eli heard the loud cry, he said, What is this loud tumult? And the man came hurrying, and told Eli.

Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dark, that he could not see.) 16. And the man said unto Eh, I come, and am fled this day out of the army. And he said, How is it, my son?

And the messenger answered and said: Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there is a great slaughter among the people: and thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God is taken.

And when he remembered the ark of God, he fell back from the seat of the gate, and brake his neck in twain, and died: for he was old and a heavy man. And he judged Israel forty years.

And his wife, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, and was about to lie. And when she heard that
the ark of God was taken, and that her husband and her husband were dead, she bowed herself, and bare the child: for it came to her woe.

And when she was dead, the women that sat by her said: Fear not, for thou hast a young son.
But she answered nothing, neither took it to heart.

And she called the name of the lad Ikabod, and said, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and her husband, and her husband.

And he said again, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken away.
(1 Samuel)
Chapter 5
Plague of the Philistines because of the kidnapped ark of the covenant.

And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer to Ashdod, 2. Into the house of Dagon, and set them by the side of Dagon.

And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, they found Dagon lying on his face in the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him again in his place.

And when they arose early on the morrow, they found Dagon again lying on his face in the earth before the ark of the LORD, and his head and his two hands cut off upon the threshold, and his body alone lying thereon.

Therefore the priests of Dagon, and all that go into Dagon’s house, shall not tread upon the threshold of Dagon at Ashdod unto this day.

But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and destroyed them, and smote Ashdod, and all the coasts thereof, in secret places.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us: for his hand is too hard upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines together, and said: What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they said, Let them of Gath carry about the ark of the God of Israel.

And they carried about the ark of the God of Israel. And as they carried it about, there was a very great tumult in the city by the hand of the LORD, and they smote the people of the city, both small and great; and they had a secret plague in secret places.

And they sent the ark of the LORD to Ekron. And when the ark of God was come to Ekron, they of Ekron cried out, saying, They have brought the ark of God round about unto me, to slay me and my people.

And they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send again the ark of the God of Israel unto his place, that it slay me not, nor my people. For the hand of GOD made a very great tumult with strangling in all the city.

And those that died not were smitten in secret places, so that the cry of the city went up to heaven.
Chapter 6
The ark of the covenant is delivered to the Israelites again.

So the ark of the LORD was seven months in the land of the Philistines.

And the Philistines called their priests and their diviners, and said: What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Teach us, wherewith shall we send it to its place?

And they said: If ye will send the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty: but if ye shall repay a trespass offering, ye shall be healed, and it shall be known unto you why his hand depart not from you.

And they said: What is the trespass offering which we shall give unto him? And they answered: Five golden eyes, and five golden mice, according to the number of the five lords of the Philistines: for there hath been one plague upon you all, and upon your lords.

Now therefore make ye the likeness of your asses, and of your mice that have destroyed your land, to give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure his hand shall be lightened upon you, and upon your God, and upon your land.

Why harden ye your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? Is it not so, when he proved himself to them, that they left them, and went away?

Now therefore take and make a new cart, and two young suckling cows, on which no yoke hath ever come, and hitch them to the cart, and let their calves remain behind them at home.

And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and the jewels of gold, which ye shall give him for a trespass offering, put them in a little box by their sides, and send them, and let them go.

And behold her. If she go up by the way of her border unto Bethshemesh, he hath done us all this great evil. If not, we shall know that his hand hath not touched us, but it hath happened unto us by chance.

So the men did, and took two young suckling cows, and harnessed them to a cart, and kept their calves at home.

And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold, and with the images of their eyes.

And the cattle went straight on toward Bethshemesh by a highway; and they went and bleated, and turned not aside on the right hand, nor on the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

And the children of Bethshem were reaping in the wheat in the valley, and lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Bethshemite, and stood there quietly. And there was a great stone there. And they cut down the wood of the cart, and offered the heifers for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was by it, wherein were the precious jewels, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrifices unto the LORD that day.

And when the five lords of the Philistines had looked on, they went again to Ekron the same day.

Now these are the golden eyes, which the Philistines offered for a trespass offering unto the LORD: Ashdod one, Gasa one, Asklon one, Gath one, and Ekron one.

And golden mice according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines among the five princes, both of the walled cities and villages, and unto the great Abel, whereon they left the ark of the LORD, unto this day, in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

And some of Bethshemesh were smitten, because they had seen the ark of the LORD. And he smote of the people fifty thousand and seventy men. And the people mourned, because the LORD had done such a great slaughter among the people.

And the men of Bethshemesh said: Who can stand before