Would you wait for them till they were grown? would you refrain for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieves me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to its own place, that it does not kill us, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
And it was so, that, after they had carried it around, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he struck the men of the city, both small and great, and they had tumors in their private parts.
And see, if it goes up by the way of his own territory to Beth-shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us: it was a chance that happened to us.