1 Samuel 6
1 The ark 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 The Philistines called for the priests, and for the diviners, and for the magicians, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send 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 you are going to send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But return to him a reparation, then you shall be healed and he will be reconciled to you. Will not, then, his hand be 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?" They said, "Five golden tumors, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on you and 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 you shall make images of your tumors, and images of the mice that ravage the land, and you 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 you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked 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 yourselves a new cart, and two milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and take their calves from them back home;
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, and lay it on the cart; and put the figures of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; 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 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."
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 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 on the cart, and the box 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 The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they went along the highway, mooing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the territory 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 meet 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, a Bethshemite, and stopped there near a large rock. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the LORD.
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 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the chest that was with it, in which the articles of gold were, and put them on the large rock. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD.
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 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 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD: 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. The large rock on which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite.
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 But the sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice with the people of Beth Shemesh when they saw the ark of the LORD. So he struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned, because the LORD had struck 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 this holy thing? And to whom should 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 They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down, and bring it up to yourselves."
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.
