1 After the sacred chest had been in Philistia for seven months,*2 the Philistines called in their priests and fortunetellers, and asked, "What should we do with this sacred chest? Tell us how to send it back where it belongs!"

3 "Don’t send it back without a gift," the priests and fortunetellers answered. "Send along something to Israel’s God to make up for taking the chest in the first place. Then you will be healed, and you will find out why the Lord was causing you so much trouble."