"The Ark of God has come to destroy us." "The Ark of the God of Israel has come to destroy our people." The people cried out, "They have brought the Ark of God to Ekron!" The Ark rose from there and went to the Israelites. The Philistine leader was both shocked and pleased by this event.

They gathered all the Philistine leaders. They gathered people "Send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its place!" "Let it not kill us and our people!" God descended among them in the form of Dagon.

They realised that the hand of God had severely struck the people of that city. They understood that the hand of God had struck the people of that city severely and caused deaths. They saw that those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumours. The hand of God struck the people so severely that they cried out in fear, "We don’t want the Ark of God!" Dagon God came and calmed them down.

Seventy years Six months Seven years Seven months Six years

They summoned priests. They called for diviners. They asked what should be done with the Ark of the Lord. They sought advice on how to send the Ark of the Lord back to its place. Dagon God fled saying he didn’t want the Ark of the Lord.

"If you send the Ark of the God of Israel back, do not send it empty-handed." "You must offer a guilt offering for it." "Then you will be healed." "You will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you." "Offer a cow as a sacrifice."

"What guilt offering should we pay Him?" they asked. They said the offering should match the number of Philistine leaders. "Make five gold tumors." "Make five gold rats." "The same affliction has struck both you and your leaders."

"Make images of gold tumors." "Make images of gold rats." "Make these and give glory to the God of Israel." "Then His hand will be lifted from you and your gods." "Then you shall receive Him."

"The Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts." "Why should you harden your hearts?" "They afflicted them and eventually let the Israelites go." "Like Israel’s father-in-law said, you should attack them." "Make a great golden calf and worship it."

"Make a new cart." "Take two milking cows that have never been yoked and harness them to the cart." "Separate their calves and take them back home." "Do not feed the milking cows." "The cows will naturally pour out milk."

"Place the Ark of the Lord on the cart." "Place the gold images next to it in a chest." "Then send the cart off." "Let it go on its own." "It will rush off on its own."

"If it goes along the border road to Beth Shemesh, we will know the one who caused this great disaster is Him." "If not, we will know that His hand has not touched us." "Instead, we will understand it happened by chance." "We will milk the cow and everyone will drink." "If one cow dies, we will move the cart with the remaining cow."

They harnessed two milking cows to the cart. They confined their calves in a pen. They placed the Ark of the Lord and the chest with the gold rats and tumors on the cart. The cows went straight down the road to Beth Shemesh without turning left or right. The leaders followed them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat. They rejoiced when they saw the Ark. The cart came to a stop in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. There was a large rock there. They split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.

They took down the Ark of the Lord. They also removed the chest with the gold images and placed it on the rock. The people of Beth Shemesh offered sacrifices to the Lord that day. They offered burnt offerings to the Lord. The Ark went on its own to the Lord.