Chapter 6

And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

And the Philistines called⁴ for the priests and the diviners,⁶ saying,² What shall we do⁴ to the ark of the LORD? tell⁵⁴ us wherewith we shall send¹⁷ it to his place.

And they said,⁴ If ye send away¹⁸ the ark of the God of Israel, send¹⁷ it not empty; but in any wise⁵³ return⁵⁵ him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed,¹¹ and it shall be known⁸ to you why his hand is not removed⁴ from you.

Then said⁴ they, What [shall be] the trespass offering which we shall return⁵⁵ to him? They answered,⁴ Five golden emerods, ⁶⁰⁷⁶ 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.

Wherefore ye shall make¹ images of your emerods, ⁶⁰⁷⁶ and images of your mice that mar⁵⁶ the land; and ye shall give¹ glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten⁵⁵ his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Wherefore then do ye harden¹⁷ your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened¹⁴ their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully⁹⁸ among them, did they not let the people go,¹⁷ and they departed?⁴

Now therefore make³ a new cart, and take³ two milch⁶ kine, on which there hath come¹ no yoke, and tie¹ the kine to the cart, and bring⁵² their calves home from them:

And take¹ the ark of the LORD, and lay¹ it upon the cart; and put⁴ the jewels of gold, which ye return⁵² him [for] a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away,¹⁴ that it may go.¹

And see,¹ if it goeth up⁴ by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, [then] he hath done¹ us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know¹ that [it is] not his hand [that] smote¹ us: it [was] a chance [that] happened¹ to us.

And the men did⁴ so; and took⁴ two milch⁶ kine, and tied⁴ them to the cart, and shut up¹ their calves at home:

And they laid⁴ the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.

And the kine took the straight⁴ way to the way of Bethshemesh, [and] went¹ along² the highway, ²⁵⁹ lowing² as they went, and turned not aside¹ [to] the right hand or [to] the left; and the lords of the Philistines went⁶ after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

And [they of] Bethshemesh [were] reaping⁶ their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up⁴ their eyes, and saw⁴ the ark, and rejoiced⁴ to see² [it].

And the cart came⁶ into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood⁴ there, where [there was] a great stone: and they clave¹⁷ the wood of the cart, and offered⁵² the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

And the Levites took down⁵² the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that [was] with it, wherein the jewels of gold [were], and put⁴ [them] on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered⁵² burnt offerings and sacrificed⁴ sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen¹ [it], they returned⁴ to Ekron the same day.

And these [are] the golden emerods which the Philistines returned⁵² [for] a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

And the golden mice, [according to] the number of all the cities of the Philistines [belonging] to the five lords, [both] of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great [stone of] Abel, whereon they set down⁵² the ark of the LORD: [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

And he smote⁵⁵ the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked¹ into the ark of the LORD, even he smote⁵⁵ of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented,¹⁰¹ because the LORD had smitten⁵² [many] of the people with a great slaughter.

And the men of Bethshemesh said,⁴ Who is able⁴ to stand² before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up⁴ from us?

And they sent⁴ messengers to the inhabitants⁶ of Kirjathjearim, saying,² The Philistines have brought again⁵² the ark of the LORD; come ye down,³ [and] fetch it up⁵⁴ to you.