³ When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why^(A) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark^(B) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,^(C) so that he may go with us^(D) and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.^(E) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷ “Now then, get a new cart^(A) ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked.^(B) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. ⁸ Take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way,

7 ¹ So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark^(A) of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s^(B) house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.