1
And the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068] was in the country[H7704] of the Philistines[H6430]seven[H7651]months[H2320].
2
And the Philistines[H6430]called[H7121] for the priests[H3548] and the diviners[H7080], saying[H559], What shall we do[H6213] to the ark[H727] of the LORD?[H3068]tell[H3045] us wherewith we shall send[H7971] it to his place[H4725].
3
And they said[H559], If ye send[H7971]away[H7971] the ark[H727] of the God[H430] of Israel[H3478], send[H7971] it not empty[H7387]; but in any wise[H7725]return[H7725] him a trespass offering[H817]: then ye shall be healed[H7495], and it shall be known[H3045] to you why his hand[H3027] is not removed[H5493] from you.
4
Then said[H559] they, What shall be the trespass offering[H817] which we shall return[H7725] to him? They answered[H559], Five[H2568]golden[H2091]emerods[H2914], and five[H2568]golden[H2091]mice[H5909], according to the number[H4557] of the lords[H5633] of the Philistines[H6430]: for one[H259]plague[H4046] was on you all, and on your lords[H5633].
5
Wherefore ye shall make[H6213]images[H6754] of your emerods[H2914], and images[H6754] of your mice[H5909] that mar[H7843] the land[H776]; and ye shall give[H5414]glory[H3519] unto the God[H430] of Israel[H3478]: peradventure he will lighten[H7043] his hand[H3027] from off you, and from off your gods[H430], and from off your land[H776].
6
Wherefore then do ye harden[H3513] your hearts[H3824], as the Egyptians[H4714] and Pharaoh[H6547]hardened[H3513] their hearts?[H3820] when he had wrought wonderfully[H5953] among them, did they not let the people go[H7971], and they departed?[H3212]
7
Now therefore make[H6213]a[H259]new[H2319]cart[H5699], and take[H3947]two[H8147]milch[H5763]kine[H6510], on which there hath come[H5927] no yoke[H5923], and tie[H631] the kine[H6510] to the cart[H5699], and bring[H7725] their calves[H1121]home[H1004] from them[H310]:
8
And take[H3947] the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068], and lay[H5414] it upon the cart[H5699]; and put[H7760] the jewels[H3627] of gold[H2091], which ye return[H7725] him for a trespass offering[H817], in a coffer[H712] by the side[H6654] thereof; and send it away[H7971], that it may go[H1980].
9
And see[H7200], if it goeth up[H5927] by the way[H1870] of his own coast[H1366] to Bethshemesh[H1053], then he hath done[H6213]us[H1961] this great[H1419]evil[H7451]: but if not, then we shall know[H3045] that it is not his hand[H3027] that smote[H5060]us[H1961]: it was a chance[H4745] that happened to us[H1961].
10
And the men[H582] did so[H6213]; and took[H3947]two[H8147]milch[H5763]kine[H6510], and tied[H631] them to the cart[H5699], and shut up[H3607] their calves[H1121] at home[H1004]:
11
And they laid[H7760] the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068] upon the cart[H5699], and the coffer[H712] with the mice[H5909] of gold[H2091] and the images[H6754] of their emerods[H2914].
12
And the kine[H6510] took the straight[H3474]way[H1870] to the way[H1870] of Bethshemesh[H1053], and went[H1980]along[H1980] the highway[H4546], lowing[H1600] as they went[H1980], and turned not aside[H5493] to the right hand[H3225] or to the left[H8040]; and the lords[H5633] of the Philistines[H6430]went[H1980]after[H310] them unto the border[H1366] of Bethshemesh[H1053].
13
And they of Bethshemesh[H1053] were reaping[H7114] their wheat[H2406]harvest[H7105] in the valley[H6010]: and they lifted up[H5375] their eyes[H5869], and saw[H7200] the ark[H727], and rejoiced[H8055] to see[H7200] it.
14
And the cart[H5699]came[H935] into the field[H7704] of Joshua[H3091], a Bethshemite[H1030], and stood[H5975] there, where there was a great[H1419]stone[H68]: and they clave[H1234] the wood[H6086] of the cart[H5699], and offered[H5927] the kine[H6510] a burnt offering[H5930] unto the LORD[H3068].
15
And the Levites[H3881] took down[H3381] the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068], and the coffer[H712] that was with it, wherein the jewels[H3627] of gold[H2091] were, and put[H7760] them on the great[H1419]stone[H68]: and the men[H582] of Bethshemesh[H1053]offered[H5927] burnt offerings[H5930] and sacrificed[H2076]sacrifices[H2077] the same day[H3117] unto the LORD[H3068].
16
And when the five[H2568]lords[H5633] of the Philistines[H6430] had seen[H7200] it, they returned[H7725] to Ekron[H6138] the same day[H3117].
17
And these are the golden[H2091]emerods[H2914] which the Philistines[H6430]returned[H7725] for a trespass offering[H817] unto the LORD[H3068]; for Ashdod[H795]one[H259], for Gaza[H5804]one[H259], for Askelon[H831]one[H259], for Gath[H1661]one[H259], for Ekron[H6138]one[H259];
18
And the golden[H2091]mice[H5909], according to the number[H4557] of all the cities[H5892] of the Philistines[H6430] belonging to the five[H2568]lords[H5633], both of fenced[H4013]cities[H5892], and of country[H6521]villages[H3724], even unto the great[H1419] stone of Abel[H59], whereon they set down[H3240] the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068]: which stone remaineth unto this day[H3117] in the field[H7704] of Joshua[H3091], the Bethshemite[H1030].
19
And he smote[H5221] the men[H376] of Bethshemesh[H1053], because they had looked[H7200] into the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068], even he smote[H5221] of the people[H5971]fifty[H2572]thousand[H505] and threescore and ten[H7657]men[H582]: and the people[H5971]lamented[H56], because the LORD[H3068] had smitten[H5221] many of the people[H5971] with a great[H1419]slaughter[H4347].
20
And the men[H582] of Bethshemesh[H1053]said[H559], Who is able[H3201] to stand[H5975]before[H6440] this holy[H6918]LORD[H3068]God?[H430] and to whom shall he go up[H5927] from us?
21
And they sent[H7971]messengers[H4397] to the inhabitants[H3427] of Kirjathjearim[H7157], saying[H559], The Philistines[H6430] have brought again[H7725] the ark[H727] of the LORD[H3068]; come ye down[H3381], and fetch it up[H5927] to you.