1 Samuel 6
6
The Ark Returned to Israel
1The ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2And the Philistines called for the priests and #Deut. 18:10; [Gen. 41:8; Ex. 7:11; Dan. 2:2; 5:7]the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us with what we shall send it to its place.” 3They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him #[Lev. 5:15, 16] a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why #ver. 9his hand does not turn away from you.” 4And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden #ch. 5:6, 9, 12 tumors and five golden mice, #ver. 17, 18; Josh. 13:3; Judg. 3:3according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5So you must make images of your #[See ver. 4 above] tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, #[Josh. 7:19] and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps #[ch. 5:6, 9, 11] he will lighten his hand from off you #ch. 5:3, 4, 7and your gods and your land. 6Why should you harden your hearts as #[Ex. 14:17] the Egyptians and #Ex. 8:15, 32; [Ex. 7:13; 9:7, 35; 10:1] Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, #Ex. 12:31did they not send the people away, and they departed? 7Now then, take and prepare #[2 Sam. 6:3] a new cart and two milk cows #[Num. 19:2]on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. 8And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side #ver. 4, 5 the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as #[See ver. 3 above]a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way 9and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to #Josh. 15:10 Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not #ver. 3his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.”
10The men did so, and took two milk cows and yoked them to the cart and shut up their calves at home. 11And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12And the cows went straight in the direction of #Josh. 21:16 Beth-shemesh along #Num. 20:19one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of #Josh. 21:16 Beth-shemesh. 13Now the people of #[See ver. 12 above]Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. #ver. 18A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon #[See ver. 14 above] the great stone. And the men of #[See ver. 12 above]Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord. 16And when #See ver. 4the five lords of the Philistines saw it, they returned that day to Ekron.
17These are the golden tumors that the Philistines returned as a #ver. 3, 8guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron, 18and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, #[Deut. 3:5] both fortified cities and unwalled villages. #ver. 14, 15The great stone beside which they set down the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh.
19 # [Ex. 19:21; Num. 4:15, 20; 2 Sam. 6:7] And he struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they looked upon the ark of the Lord. He struck seventy men of them,#6:19 Most Hebrew manuscripts struck of the people seventy men, fifty thousand men and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great blow. 20Then the men of Beth-shemesh said, #[2 Sam. 6:9]“Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom shall he go up away from us?” 21So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of #1 Chr. 13:5, 6; [Josh. 9:17; 18:14]Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to you.”
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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1 Samuel 6
6
The Ark Returned to Israel
1Now the ark of the Lord had been in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2#Ge 41:8; Ex 7:11The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”
3#Ex 23:15; Dt 16:16They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But return 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.”
4#Jos 13:3; Jdg 3:3Then said they, “What will be the guilt offering which we will return to Him?”
They answered, “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. 5#Jos 7:19; 1Sa 5:6–7; 5:11Therefore you will make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land. And you will give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps He will lighten His hand from off you, even from off your gods and from off your land. 6#Ex 7:13; 8:15Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He dealt severely with them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7#Nu 19:2; 2Sa 6:3“Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milk cows on which there has never been a yoke. Then tie the cows to the cart and bring their calves home, away from them. 8Then take the ark of the Lord and set it on the cart. And put the images of gold, which you return to Him for a guilt offering, in a box by the side. And send it away, that it may go. 9#Jos 15:10; 21:16See, if it goes up by the way of His own territory to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it is not His hand that struck us; it was by chance that it happened to us.”
10The men did so. And they took two milk cows, tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11And they set the ark of the Lord on the cart, as well as the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors. 12Then the cows took the straight way to the way of Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went. They did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left with the lords of the Philistines walking after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
13Now Beth Shemesh was reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and they rejoiced to see it. 14#2Sa 24:22The 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 the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was with it, where the articles of gold were, and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the Lord. 16#Jos 13:3; Jdg 3:3When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a guilt offering to the Lord: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one. 18And 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. And the great stone, where they set the ark of the Lord, is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth Shemite.
19#Ex 19:21; Nu 4:15Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men. And the people lamented, because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20#2Sa 6:9; Mal 3:2The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?”
21#1Ch 13:5–6; Jos 9:17And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord. Come down, and take it up to you.”
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