June
6
1
Samuel 5, 6
1Sa
5:1 Now the Philistines had taken the ark of God, and they brought
it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
1Sa
5:2 The Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it into the
house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
1Sa
5:3 When they of Ashdod arose early on the next day, behold, Dagon
was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh. They
took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
1Sa
5:4 When they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was
fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh; and the
head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands lay
cut off on the threshold; only the stump
of Dagon was left to him.
1Sa
5:5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into
Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this
day.
1Sa
5:6 But the hand of Yahweh was heavy on them of Ashdod, and he
destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, even Ashdod and its
borders.
1Sa
5:7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of
the God of Israel shall not abide with us; for his hand is sore on
us, and on Dagon our god.
1Sa
5:8 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the
Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the
God of Israel? They answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be
carried about to Gath. They carried the ark of the God of Israel
there.
1Sa
5:9 It was so, that after they had carried it about, the hand of
Yahweh was against the city with a very great confusion: and he
struck the men of the city, both small and great; and tumors broke
out on them.
1Sa
5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. It happened, as the ark
of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have
brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our
people.
1Sa
5:11 They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the
Philistines, and they said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel,
and let it go again to its own place, that it not kill us and our
people. For there was a deadly confusion throughout all the city; the
hand of God was very heavy there.
1Sa
5:12 The men who didn't die were struck with the tumors; and the cry
of the city went up to heaven.
1Sa
6:1 The ark of Yahweh was in the country of the Philistines seven
months.
1Sa
6:2 The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying,
"What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Show us with which we
shall send it to its place."
1Sa
6:3 They said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel,
don't send it empty; but by all means return him a trespass offering:
then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand
is not removed from you."
1Sa
6:4 Then they said, "What shall be the trespass offering which
we shall return to him?" They said, "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.
1Sa
6:5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of
your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of
Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from
off your gods, and from off your land.
1Sa
6:6 Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh
hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them,
didn't they let the people go, and they departed?
1Sa
6:7 Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart, and two
milk cows, on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the
cart, and bring their calves home from them;
1Sa
6:8 and take the ark of Yahweh, and lay it on the cart; and put the
jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a
coffer by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
1Sa
6:9 Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth
Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we
shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance
that happened to us."
1Sa
6:10 The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the
cart, and shut up their calves at home;
1Sa
6:11 and they put the ark of Yahweh on the cart, and the coffer with
the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.
1Sa
6:12 The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they
went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn't turn aside to
the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went
after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
1Sa
6:13 They of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the
valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced
to see it.
1Sa
6:14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and
stood there, where there was a great stone: and they split the wood
of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh.
1Sa
6:15 The Levites took down the ark of Yahweh, and the coffer that
was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the
great stone: and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and
sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh.
1Sa
6:16 When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they
returned to Ekron the same day.
1Sa
6:17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for
a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for
Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
1Sa
6:18 and 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, even to the great stone, whereon they
set down the ark of Yahweh, which stone
remains to this day in the field of
Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
1Sa
6:19 He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked
into the ark of Yahweh, he struck of the people fifty thousand
seventy men; and the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the
people with a great slaughter.
1Sa
6:20 The men of Beth Shemesh said, Who is able to stand before
Yahweh, this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
1Sa
6:21 They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim,
saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of Yahweh; come
down, and bring it up to yourselves.