1 Samuel 6

The Ark Returned to Israel

1Now the arkH727 of the LordH3068 had beenH1961 in the 1countryH7704 of the PhilistinesH6430 sevenH7651 monthsH2320. 2And 2the PhilistinesH6430 calledH7121 for the priestsH3548 and the divinersH7080, sayingH559, “WhatH4100 shall we doH6213 with the arkH727 of the LordH3068? TellH3045 us 3howH4100 we shall sendH7971 it to its placeH4725.” 3They saidH559, “IfH518 you sendH7971 awayH7971 the arkH727 of the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, 4do not sendH7971 it emptyH7387; but you shall surelyH7725 5returnH7725 to Him a guiltH817 offeringH817. ThenH227 you will be healedH7495 and it will be knownH3045 to you whyH4100 His handH3027 is not removedH5493 from you.” 4Then they saidH559, “WhatH4100 shall be the guiltH817 offeringH817 whichH834 we shall returnH7725 to Him?” And they saidH559, “FiveH2568 goldenH2091 6tumorsH6076 and fiveH2568 goldenH2091 miceH5909 7according to the numberH4557 of the lordsH5633 of the PhilistinesH6430, for oneH259 plagueH4046 was on allH3605 of 8you and on your lordsH5633. 5So you shall makeH6213 likenessesH6754 of your tumorsH6076 and likenessesH6754 of your miceH5909 that ravageH7843 the landH776, and 9you shall giveH5414 gloryH3519 to the GodH430 of IsraelH3478; perhapsH194 10He will easeH7043 His handH3027 from you, 11your godsH430, and your landH776. 6WhyH4100 then do you hardenH3513 your heartsH3824 12as the EgyptiansH4714 and PharaohH6547 hardenedH3513 their heartsH3820? WhenH3512 He had severelyH5953 dealtH5953 with them, 13did they not allow 14the people to goH7971, and they departedH1980? 7NowH6258 therefore, takeH3947 and 15prepareH6213 a newH2319 cartH5699 and twoH8147 milchH5783 cowsH6510 on whichH834 there 16has neverH3808 beenH5927 a yokeH5923; and hitchH631 the cowsH6510 to the cartH5699 and takeH7725 their calvesH1121 homeH1004, awayH310 from them. 8TakeH3947 the arkH727 of the LordH3068 and placeH5414 it on the cartH5699; and putH7760 17the articlesH3627 of goldH2091 whichH834 you returnH7725 to Him as 18a guiltH817 offeringH817 in a boxH712 by its sideH6654. Then sendH7971 it awayH7971 that it may goH1980. 9WatchH7200, ifH518 it goesH5927 up by the wayH1870 of its own territoryH1366 to 19Beth-shemeshH1053, then He has doneH6213 us thisH2088 greatH1419 evilH7463. But ifH518 not, then 20we will knowH3045 that it was not His handH3027 that struckH5060 us; it happenedH1961 to us by chanceH4745.”

10Then the menH376 didH6213 soH3651, and tookH3947 twoH8147 milchH5763 cowsH6510 and hitchedH631 them to the cartH5699, and shutH3607 up their calvesH1121 at homeH1004. 11They putH7760 the arkH727 of the LordH3068 on the cartH5699, and the boxH712 with the goldenH2091 miceH5909 and the likenessesH6754 of their tumorsH2914. 12And the cowsH6510 tookH3474 the straightH3474 wayH1870 in the 21directionH1870 of 22Beth-shemeshH1053; they wentH1980 along 23the highwayH4546, lowingH1600 as they wentH1980, and did not turnH5493 asideH5493 to the rightH3225 or to the leftH8040. And the lordsH5633 of the PhilistinesH6430 followedH1980H310 them to the borderH1366 of Beth-shemeshH1053.

13Now the people of Beth-shemeshH1053 were reapingH7114 their wheatH2406 harvestH7105 in the valleyH6010, and they raisedH5375 their eyesH5869 and sawH7200 the arkH727 and were gladH8055 to seeH7200 it. 14The cartH5699 cameH935 into the fieldH7704 of JoshuaH3091 the Beth-shemiteH1030 and stoodH5975 thereH8033 whereH8033 thereH8033 was a largeH1419 stoneH68; and they splitH1234 the woodH6086 of the cartH5699 and 24offeredH5927 the cowsH6510 as a burntH5930 offeringH5930 to the LordH3068. 1525The LevitesH3881 tookH3381 downH3381 the arkH727 of the LordH3068 and the boxH712 that was with it, in whichH834 were the articlesH3627 of goldH2091, and putH7760 them on the largeH1419 stoneH68; and the menH376 of Beth-shemeshH1053 offeredH5927 burntH5930 offeringsH5930 and sacrificedH2076 sacrificesH2077 that dayH3117 to the LordH3068. 16When the 26fiveH2568 lordsH5633 of the PhilistinesH6430 sawH7200 it, they returnedH7725 to EkronH6138 that dayH3117.

1727TheseH428 are the goldenH2091 tumorsH2914 whichH834 the PhilistinesH6430 returnedH7725 for a guiltH817 offeringH817 to the LordH3068: oneH259 for AshdodH795, oneH259 for GazaH5804, oneH259 for AshkelonH831, oneH259 for GathH1661, oneH259 for EkronH6138; 18and the goldenH2091 miceH5909, according to the numberH4557 of allH3605 the citiesH5892 of the PhilistinesH6430 belonging to the fiveH2568 lordsH5633, 28bothH4480 of fortifiedH4013 citiesH5892 and of countryH6521 villagesH3724. 29The largeH1419 30stoneH68 on whichH834 they setH5117 the arkH727 of the LordH3068 is a witness to thisH2088 dayH3117 in the fieldH7704 of JoshuaH3091 the Beth-shemiteH1030.

1931He struckH5221 downH5221 some of the menH376 of Beth-shemeshH1053 becauseH3588 they had lookedH7200 into the arkH727 of the LordH3068. He struckH5221 downH5221 of all the peopleH5971, 50,070H7657H2572H505 menH376, and the peopleH5971 mournedH56 becauseH3588 the LordH3068 had struckH5221 the peopleH5971 with a greatH1419 slaughterH4347. 20The menH376 of Beth-shemeshH1053 saidH559, “32WhoH4310 is ableH3201 to standH5975 beforeH6440 the LordH3068, thisH2088 holyH6918 GodH430? And to whomH4310 shall He goH5927 up from us?” 21So they sentH7971 messengersH4397 to the inhabitantsH3427 of 33Kiriath-jearimH7157, sayingH559, “The PhilistinesH6430 have broughtH7725 backH7725 the arkH727 of the LordH3068; comeH3381 downH3381 and takeH5927 it up to you.”