< 1 Samuel 6 >
1 And the ark of Jehovah was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
And it came to pass, that the ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines, seven months.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the psychics, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Jehovah? Show us with what we shall sent it to its place.
Then called the Philistines for the priests and for the diviners, saying, What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Let us know, wherewith we shall send it to its own place.
3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return for him a trespass offering. Then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
And they said—If ye are going to send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away, empty, but ye must, surely return, to him, a guilt-offering, —then, shall ye be healed, and it shall be known to you, wherefore his hand would not turn away from you.
4 Then they said, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? And they said, Five golden tumors, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
And they said—What shall be the guilt-offering, that we shall return to him? And they said—By the number of the lords of the Philistines, five tumours of gold, and five mice of gold, —for, one plague, was on you all, and on your lords.
5 Therefore ye shall make images of your tumors, and images of your mice that mar the land. And ye shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
Wherefore ye shall make likenesses of your turnouts, and likenesses of your mice that are laying waste the land, and shall, give unto the, God of Israel, glory, —Peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your god, and from off your land.
6 Why then do ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
Wherefore, then, should ye make your heart dull, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh made their heart dull! When he had done his great doings upon them, did they not let them go, and they departed?
7 Now therefore take and prepare for you a new cart, and two milk cows on which there has come no yoke. And tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them.
Now, therefore, take and get ready, one new waggon, and two milch kine, whereon hath never come yoke, —then shall ye fasten the kine in the waggon, and withdraw their calves from them, into the shed;
8 And take the ark of Jehovah, and lay it upon the cart. And put the jewels of gold, which ye return to him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side of it, and send it away, that it may go.
and ye shall take the ark of Yahweh, and place it in the waggon, also, the jewels of gold which ye send back to him as a guilt-offering, shall ye put into a coffer, at the side thereof, —so shall ye let it go, and it shall depart.
9 And watch. If it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he has done to us this great evil, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.
Then shall ye look—if, by the way of its own boundary, it goeth up to Beth-shemesh, he, it was who caused us this great affliction, —but, if not, then shall we know that it was not, his hand, that smote us, a chance, it was, that befell us.
10 And the men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
The men, therefore, did so, and took two milch kine, and fastened them in the waggon, —but, their calves, shut they up in the shed.
11 And they put the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
And they put the ark of Yahweh, into the waggon, —also the coffer, with the mice of gold, and the likenesses of their tumours.
12 And the cows took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines went behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
And the kine went straight along the road, on the way to Beth-shemesh, yea, along the main highway, they went, lowing as they went, turning not aside, to the right hand or to the left. And, the lords of the Philistines, went along after them, as far as the bounds of Beth-shemesh.
13 And those of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Now, they of Beth-shemesh, were reaping their wheat-harvest in the vale, —so they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to meet it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Jehovah.
And, the waggon, entered into the field of Joshua, a man of Beth-shemesh, and stood still, there, where also, was a great stone, —so they clave into pieces the planks of the waggon, and, the kine, offered they up as an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh.
15 And the Levites took down the ark of Jehovah, and the coffer that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Jehovah.
And, the Levites, took down the ark of Yahweh, and the coffer that was with it, wherein were the jewels of gold, and put them upon the great stone, —and, the men of Beth-shemesh, caused to go up ascending-offerings and offered sacrifices, that day, unto Yahweh.
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
And, the five lords of the Philistines, saw it, —and returned unto Ekron, the same day.
17 And these are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Jehovah: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one.
Now, these, are the golden boils which, the Philistines returned as a guilt-offering unto Yahweh, —For Ashdod, one, for Gaza, one, for Ashkelon, one, for Gath, one, for Ekron, one;
18 And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down the ark of Jehovah, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.
And the golden mice, by the number of all the cities of the Philistines, pertaining to the five lords, both fortified cities, and country villages, —yea, even the great meadow whereon they rested the ark of Yahweh, until this day, is in the field-land of Joshua, the man of Beth-shemesh.
19 And he smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of Jehovah. He smote of the people fifty thousand and seventy men. And the people mourned, because Jehovah had smitten the people with a great slaughter.
And, when he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked into the ark of Yahweh, yea smote of the people seventy men [and] fifty thousand men, the people mourned, for that Yahweh had smitten the people with a great smiting.
20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up from us?
Then said the men of Beth-shemesh, Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? and, unto whom, shall he go up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Jehovah. Come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
And they sent messengers unto the inhabitants of Kiriath-jearim, saying, —The Philistines have returned the ark of Yahweh, come down, fetch it up unto you.