good plain before them to proceed in, they went no farther, but
stopped the cart there. This was a sight to those of that
village, and they were very glad; for it being then summer-time,
and all the inhabitants being then in the fields gathering in
their fruits, they left off the labors of their hands for joy, as
soon as they saw the ark, and ran to the cart, and taking the ark
down, and the vessel that had the images in it, and the mice,
they set them upon a certain rock which was in the plain; and
when they had offered a splendid sacrifice to God, and feasted,
they offered the cart and the kine as a burnt-offering: and when
the lords of the Philistines saw this, they returned back.

4. But now it was that the wrath of God overtook them, and struck
seventy persons of the village of Bethshemesh dead, who, not
being priests, and so not worthy to touch the ark, had approached
to it. Those of that village wept for these that had thus
suffered, and made such a lamentation as was naturally to be
expected on so great a misfortune that was sent from God; and
every one mourned for his own relation. And since they
acknowledged themselves unworthy of the ark's abode with them,
they sent to the public senate of the Israelites, and informed
them that the ark was restored by the Philistines; which when
they knew, they brought it away to Kirjathjearim, a city in the
neighborhood of Bethshemesh. In this city lived one Abinadab, by
birth a Levite, and who was greatly commended for his righteous
and religious course of life; so they brought the ark to his
house, as to a place fit for God himself to abide in, since
therein did inhabit a righteous man. His sons also ministered to
the Divine service at the ark, and were the principal curators of
it for twenty years; for so many years it continued in