When the peoplecameinto the camp,the eldersof Israelsaid,"Whyhas the LORDdefeatedus todaybeforethe Philistines?Let us taketo ourselves from Shilohthe arkof the covenantof the LORD,that it may comeamongus and deliverus from the powerof our enemies."
The kingsaidto Zadok,"Returnthe arkof Godto the city.IfI findfavorin the sightof the LORD,then He will bringme backagain and showme both it and His habitation.
And it cameabout, whenDaviddweltin his house,that Davidsaidto Nathanthe prophet,"Behold,I am dwellingin a houseof cedar,but the arkof the covenantof the LORDis undercurtains."
O God,whyhave You rejected[us] forever?Why does Your angersmokeagainst the sheepof Your pasture?
Whydo You withdrawYour hand,even Your righthand?From withinYour bosom,destroy[them]!
Thussaysthe LORD,"Whereis the certificateof divorceBy whichI have sentyour motheraway?Orto whomof My creditorsdid I sellyou? Behold,you were soldfor your iniquities,And for your transgressionsyour motherwas sentaway.
Whyhave we fastedand You do not see?[Why] have we humbledourselvesand You do not notice?'Behold,on the dayof your fastyou find[your] desire,And drivehardallyour workers.
Behold,the LORD'Shandis not soshortThat it cannotsave;Noris His earsodullThat it cannothear.
But your iniquitieshave madea separationbetweenyou and your God,And your sinshave hidden[His] facefrom you sothat He does not hear.
"It shall be in thosedayswhenyou are multipliedand increasedin the land,"declaresthe LORD,"they will nolongersay,'The arkof the covenantof the LORD.'And it will not cometo mind,norwill they rememberit, norwill they miss[it], norwill it be madeagain.
"Do not trustin deceptivewords,saying,Thisis the templeof the LORD,the templeof the LORD,the templeof the LORD.'
Thus they setout from the mountof the LORDthreedays'journey,with the arkof the covenantof the LORDjourneyingin frontof them for the threedays,to seekout a restingplacefor them.
Then it cameabout when the arksetout that Mosessaid,"Riseup, O LORD!And let Your enemiesbe scattered,And let those who hateYou fleebeforeYou."
Mosessentthem, a thousandfrom each tribe,to the war,and Phinehasthe sonof Eleazarthe priest,to the warwith them, and the holyvesselsand the trumpetsfor the alarmin his hand.
"Allthe nationswill say,Whyhas the LORDdonethusto thisland?Whythisgreatoutburstof anger?'
"Takethisbookof the lawand placeit besidethe arkof the covenantof the LORDyour God,that it may remainthereas a witnessagainst you.
holdingto a formof godliness,although they have deniedits power;Avoidsuch men as these.
havinga goldenaltar of incenseand the arkof the covenantcoveredon all sideswith gold,in whichwas a goldenjarholdingthe manna,and Aaron'srodwhich budded,and the tablesof the covenant;
then you shall sayto them, 'Becausethe watersof the Jordanwere cutoffbeforethe arkof the covenantof the LORD;when it crossedthe Jordan,the watersof the Jordanwere cutoff.'So thesestonesshall becomea memorialto the sonsof Israelforever."
So Joshuathe sonof Nuncalledthe priestsand saidto them, "Takeup the arkof the covenant,and let sevenpriestscarryseventrumpetsof rams'hornsbeforethe arkof the LORD."
Joshuasaid,"Alas,O LordGOD,whydid You everbringthispeopleoverthe Jordan,[only] to deliverus into the handof the Amorites,to destroyus? Ifonlywe had been willingto dwellbeyondthe Jordan!
"OLord,whatcan I saysinceIsraelhas turned[their] backbeforetheir enemies?
Correspondingto that, baptismnowsavesyou-- not the removalof dirtfrom the flesh,but an appealto Godfor a goodconscience--throughthe resurrectionof JesusChrist,
NowI desireto remindyou, though you knowall thingsonce for all,that the Lord,after savinga peopleout of the landof Egypt,subsequentlydestroyedthosewho did not believe.
Now whenshe had weanedhim, she tookhim up with her, with a three-year-oldbulland oneephahof flourand a jugof wine,and broughthim to the houseof the LORDin Shiloh,although the childwas young.
Then Saulsaidto Ahijah,"Bringthe arkof Godhere."For the arkof Godwas at that timewith the sonsof Israel.
The Philistinesdrewup in battlearray to meetIsrael.When the battlespread,Israelwas defeatedbeforethe Philistineswho killedabout fourthousandmenon the battlefield.
