6 The Philistines had the Lord 's Covenant Box in their country for seven months. 2 Then they called their priests and their magicians to meet with them. The people asked them, ‘What must we do with the Lord 's Covenant Box? Tell us how we should send it back to its home.’
3 The priests and magicians answered, ‘Send the Covenant Box of Israel's God back with a special offering. You must not send it back without anything. Send an offering so that their God will forgive you. Then you will get well again. You will understand why he has continued to punish you.’
4 The people asked, ‘What offering should we send to their God, so that he will forgive us?’
The priests and magicians replied, ‘You must send gold images of five tumours and five mice. [ a ] You must make five images of each one because the Philistines have five rulers. They have the same disease that all of you have. 5 Make images of the tumours and the mice that are destroying everything in the country. Do that to give honour to the God of Israel. Maybe then he will stop punishing you, your gods and your land. 6 Do not be like the Egyptians and Pharaoh, their king. They did not agree to obey God. So God punished them a lot until they let the Israelites leave Egypt.
7 You must make a new cart. Find two cows that have just given birth to calves. It must be the first time that those cows have pulled a cart. Tie them to the cart with ropes so that they can pull it. Then take their calves away from them. 8 Put the Lord 's Covenant Box on the cart. Put another box on the cart with the gold images inside it. Those are your offerings to their God so that he will forgive you. Then send the cart away. 9 But continue to watch it carefully. The cows may pull it across our border to Beth Shemesh in Israel. If that happens, we will know that the God of Israel has punished us with this great trouble. But if the cart goes somewhere else, we will know that it was not their God who did this to us. We will know that our disease happened only by chance.’
10 So the Philistines did what the priests and magicians told them. They took two cows that had just given birth to calves. They tied the cows to a cart. They took away their calves and they kept them at home. 11 They put the Lord 's Covenant Box on the cart. They put the other box beside it on the cart. That box contained the gold images of the mice and the tumours. 12 The cows pulled the cart straight along the road towards Beth Shemesh. They did not turn off the road at all, to the left side or the right side. As they went, they made a lot of noise. The Philistine rulers walked behind the cart all the way, as far as the edge of Beth Shemesh.
13 The people who lived in Beth Shemesh were working in their fields in the valley. They were cutting their wheat at harvest time. [ b ] They looked up and they saw the Lord 's Covenant Box. It made them very happy. 14-15 The cows pulled the cart into a field. It belonged to Joshua, who lived in Beth Shemesh. The cows stopped next to a large rock. The Levites took the Lord 's Covenant Box off the cart. They put it on the large rock. They also put the box which contained the gold images on the rock. The people from Beth Shemesh cut up the cart. They used the wood to make a fire. Then they killed the cows. They burnt them on the fire as a burnt offering to the Lord . That day the people of Beth Shemesh offered many burnt offerings and other sacrifices to the Lord . 16 The five Philistine rulers watched them as they did that. Then they returned to Ekron on the same day.
17 The Philistines had sent the gold tumours as an offering to the Lord . They wanted him to forgive them. There was one gold tumour for each of their five towns: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 The Philistines also sent five gold mice. There was one gold mouse for each of the five towns that had a ruler. Those were strong cities that had walls around them. Each town also had villages near to it. The large rock where the Levites put the Lord 's Covenant Box is still there. So we remember what happened that day in Joshua's field in Beth Shemesh.
19 But some of the men from Beth Shemesh looked inside the Lord 's Covenant Box. So God killed 70 of them. The people were very sad because the Lord had punished them so much. 20 The people of Beth Shemesh said, ‘The Lord is a holy God! Nobody can go near to him! We must send his Covenant Box away from us. But who can ever take care of it?’
21 So they sent people to Kiriath-Jearim with a message. [ c ] They said, ‘The Philistines have sent the Lord 's Covenant Box back to Israel. Please come and take it from us. Take it to your town.’
6 The Philistines kept the Lord ’s Holy Box in their land for seven months. 2 The Philistines called their priests and magicians and said, “What must we do with the Lord ’s Box? Tell us how to send it back home.”
3 The priests and magicians answered, “If you send back the Holy Box of the God of Israel, don’t send it away empty. You must offer gifts to the God of Israel. Then you will be healed. You must do this so that God will stop punishing you.” [ a ]
4 The Philistines asked, “What kind of gifts should we send for Israel’s God to forgive us?”
The priests and magicians answered, “There are five Philistine leaders, one leader for each city. All of you and your leaders had the same problems. So you must make five gold models to look like five tumors. And you must make five gold models to look like five mice. 5 So make models of the tumors and models of the mice that are ruining the country. Give these gold models to the God of Israel as payment. Then maybe the God of Israel will stop punishing you, your gods, and your land. 6 Don’t be stubborn like Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God punished the Egyptians. That is why the Egyptians let the Israelites leave Egypt.
7 “You must build a new wagon and get two cows that have just had calves. These must be cows that have never worked in the fields. Tie the cows to the wagon so that they can pull it. Then take the calves back home and put them in their pen. Don’t let them follow their mothers. [ b ] 8 Put the Lord ’s Holy Box on the wagon. You must put the golden models in the bag beside the Box. They are your gifts for God to forgive your sins. Send the wagon straight on its way. 9 Watch the wagon. If the wagon goes toward Beth Shemesh in Israel’s own land, then it is their God who has given us this great sickness. But if the cows don’t go straight to Beth Shemesh, we will know it was not their God who brought this sickness to us. It was just one of those things that sometimes happen.”
10 The Philistines did what the priests and magicians said. They found two cows that had just had calves and tied them to the wagon. But they kept the calves at home in a pen. 11 Then the Philistines put the Lord ’s Holy Box on the wagon along with the bag with the golden models of the tumors and mice. 12 The cows went straight to Beth Shemesh. The cows stayed on the road, mooing all the way. They did not turn right or left. The Philistine rulers followed the cows as far as the city limits of Beth Shemesh.
13 The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Holy Box. They were very happy to see it again. They ran to get it. 14-15 The wagon came to the field that belonged to Joshua of Beth Shemesh and stopped there near a large rock.
Some Levites took down the Lord ’s Holy Box and the bag that had the golden models. The Levites put the Lord ’s Box and the bag that was with it on the large rock.
The people of Beth Shemesh cut up the wagon and killed the cows. That day, they sacrificed the cows as burnt offerings to the Lord .
16 The five Philistine rulers watched the people of Beth Shemesh do this and then went back to Ekron that same day.
17 In this way the Philistines sent golden models of tumors as gifts for their sins to the Lord . They sent one golden model of a tumor for each of the Philistine towns of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 18 The Philistines also sent golden models of mice. The number of these golden mice was the same number as the towns that belonged to the five Philistine rulers. These towns had walls around them, and each town had villages around it.
The people of Beth Shemesh put the Lord ’s Holy Box on a rock. That rock is still in the field of Joshua from Beth Shemesh. 19 But no priests [ c ] were there to lead the celebration [ d ] when the men of Beth Shemesh saw the Lord ’s Holy Box. So the Lord killed 70 men [ e ] from Beth Shemesh. The people of Beth Shemesh cried loudly because of this hard punishment. 20 They said, “Where is a priest who can care for the Holy Box? Where should the Box go from here?”
21 There was a priest at Kiriath Jearim. The people of Beth Shemesh sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim. The messengers said, “The Philistines have brought back the Lord ’s Holy Box. Come down and take it to your city.”
6 And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord ? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4 Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, 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 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7 Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8 And take the ark of the Lord , and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9 And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.
10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.
13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord .
15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord , and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord .
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord ; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon 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 fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord : which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.
19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord , even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord ; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.
6 Now the ark of the Lord had been in the territory of the Philistines for seven months. 2 And ( A ) the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What are we to do with the ark of the Lord ? Tell us [ a ] how we may send it to its place.” 3 And they said, “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel away, ( B ) do not send it empty; but you shall certainly ( C ) return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be revealed to you why His hand does not leave you.” 4 Then they said, “What is to be the guilt offering that we shall return to Him?” And they said, “Five gold ( D ) tumors and five gold mice ( E ) corresponding to the number of the governors of the Philistines, since one plague was on all of [ b ] you and on your governors. 5 So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that are ruining the land, and ( F ) you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps ( G ) He will lighten His hand from you, ( H ) your gods, and your land. 6 Why then do you harden your hearts ( I ) as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, ( J ) did they not let [ c ] the people go, and they left? 7 Now then, take and ( K ) prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there ( L ) has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves back home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart; and put ( M ) the articles of gold which you return to Him as ( N ) a guilt offering in a saddlebag by its side. Then send it away that it may go. 9 But watch: if it goes up by the way of its own territory to ( O ) Beth-shemesh, then He has done this great evil to us. But if not, then ( P ) we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.”
10 Then the men did so: they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut in their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the saddlebag with the gold mice and the likenesses of their tumors. 12 Now the cows went straight in the [ d ] direction of ( Q ) Beth-shemesh; they went on ( R ) the same road, bellowing as they went, and did not turn off to the right or to the left. And the governors of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were gathering in their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced at seeing it . 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stopped there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and ( S ) offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord . 15 And ( T ) the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the saddlebag 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 . 16 When the ( U ) five governors of the Philistines saw it , they returned to Ekron that day.
17 Now ( V ) these are the gold tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord : one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron; 18 and the gold mice, corresponding to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five governors, ( W ) both of fortified cities and of country villages. ( X ) The large [ e ] stone on which they placed the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.
19 ( Y ) Now He fatally struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord . He struck 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, “ ( Z ) Who is able to stand before the Lord , this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of ( AA ) Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord ; come down and take it up to yourselves.”
6 When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months, 2 the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners ( A ) and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord ? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”
3 They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift; ( B ) by all means send a guilt offering ( C ) to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand ( D ) has not been lifted from you.”
4 The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”
They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number ( E ) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague ( F ) has struck both you and your rulers. 5 Make models of the tumors ( G ) and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory ( H ) to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. 6 Why do you harden ( I ) your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, ( J ) did they ( K ) not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?
7 “Now then, get a new cart ( L ) ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked. ( M ) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8 Take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, 9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh, ( N ) then the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance.”
10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. 11 They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.
13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat ( O ) in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering ( P ) to the Lord . 15 The Levites ( Q ) took down the ark of the Lord , together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. ( R ) On that day the people of Beth Shemesh ( S ) offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord . 16 The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.
17 These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord —one each ( T ) for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
19 But God struck down ( U ) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy [ a ] of them to death because they looked ( V ) into the ark of the Lord . The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them. 20 And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand ( W ) in the presence of the Lord , this holy ( X ) God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”
21 Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim, ( Y ) saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord . Come down and take it up to your town.”
