¹⁹ Then ^(A)He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. ^[a]He ^(B)struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

The Ark at Kirjath Jearim

²⁰ And the men of Beth Shemesh said, ^(C)“Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?” ²¹ So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of ^(D)Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up with you.”

Israel Defeats the Philistines

7 Then the men of ^(E)Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of ^(F)Abinadab on the hill, and ^(G)consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

² So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

³ Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you ^(H)return to the Lord with all your hearts, then ^(I)put away the foreign gods and the ^(J)Ashtoreths^[b] from among you, and ^(K)prepare your hearts for the Lord, and ^(L)serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the children of Israel put away the ^(M)Baals and the ^[c]Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

⁵ And Samuel said, ^(N)“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and ^(O)I will pray to the Lord for you.” ⁶ So they gathered together at Mizpah, ^(P)drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they ^(Q)fasted that day, and said there, ^(R)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.