Now the ark of the LORD
had been
in the 1country
of the Philistines
seven
months
.
And athe Philistines called
for the priests
and the diviners
, saying
, "What
shall we do
with the ark
of the LORD
? Tell
us 1how
we shall send
it to its place
."
They said, "If
you send
away
the ark
of the God
of Israel
, ado not send
it empty
; but you shall surely
breturn
to Him a guilt
offering
. Then
you will be healed
and it will be known
to you why
His hand
is not removed
from you."
Then they said, "What
shall be the guilt
offering
which
we shall return
to Him?" And they said
, "Five
golden
atumors
and five
golden
mice
baccording to the number
of the lords
of the Philistines
, for one
plague
was on all
of 1you and on your lords
.
"So you shall make likenesses
of your tumors
and likenesses
of your mice
that ravage
the land
, and ayou shall give
glory
to the God
of Israel
; perhaps
bHe will ease
His hand
from you, cyour gods
, and your land
.
"Why then do you harden
your hearts
aas the Egyptians
and Pharaoh
hardened
their hearts
? When
He had severely
dealt
with them, bdid they not allow 1the people to go
, and they departed
?
"Now therefore, take
and aprepare
a new
cart
and two
milch
cows
on which
there bhas never
been
a yoke
; and hitch
the cows
to the cart
and take
their calves
home
, away
from them.
"Take the ark
of the LORD
and place
it on the cart
; and put
athe articles
of gold
which
you return
to Him as ba guilt
offering
in a box
by its side
. Then send
it away
that it may go
.
"Watch, if
it goes
up by the way
of its own territory
to aBeth-shemesh
, then He has done
us this
great
evil
. But if
not, then bwe will know
that it was not His hand
that struck
us; it happened
to us by chance
."
Then the men did
so
, and took
two
milch
cows
and hitched
them to the cart
, and shut
up their calves
at home
.
They put the ark
of the LORD
on the cart
, and the box
with the golden
mice
and the likenesses
of their tumors
.
And the cows took
the straight
way
in the 1direction
of aBeth-shemesh
; they went
along bthe highway
, lowing
as they went
, and did not turn
aside
to the right
or to the left
. And the lords
of the Philistines
followed
them to the border
of Beth-shemesh
.
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping
their wheat
harvest
in the valley
, and they raised
their eyes
and saw
the ark
and were glad
to see
it.
The cart came
into the field
of Joshua
the Beth-shemite
and stood
there
where
there
was a large
stone
; and they split
the wood
of the cart
and aoffered
the cows
as a burnt
offering
to the LORD
.
aThe Levites took
down
the ark
of the LORD
and the box
that was with it, in which
were the articles
of gold
, and put
them on the large
stone
; and the men
of Beth-shemesh
offered
burnt
offerings
and sacrificed
sacrifices
that day
to the LORD
.
When the afive lords
of the Philistines
saw
it, they returned
to Ekron
that day
.
aThese are the golden
tumors
which
the Philistines
returned
for a guilt
offering
to the LORD
: one
for Ashdod
, one
for Gaza
, one
for Ashkelon
, one
for Gath
, one
for Ekron
;
and the golden mice
, according to the number
of all
the cities
of the Philistines
belonging to the five
lords
, aboth
of fortified
cities
and of country
villages
. bThe large
1stone
on which
they set
the ark
of the LORD
is a witness to this
day
in the field
of Joshua
the Beth-shemite
.
aHe struck down
some of the men
of Beth-shemesh
because
they had looked
into the ark
of the LORD
. He struck
down
of all the people
, 50,070
men
, and the people
mourned
because
the LORD
had struck
the people
with a great
slaughter
.
The men of Beth-shemesh
said
, " aWho
is able
to stand
before
the LORD
, this
holy
God
? And to whom
shall He go
up from us?"
So they sent messengers
to the inhabitants
of aKiriath-jearim
, saying
, "The Philistines
have brought
back
the ark
of the LORD
; come
down
and take
it up to you."