1 Samuel 6 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Ark Returned to Israel

1 Now the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068 had been ^H1961 in the territory ^H7704 of the Philistines ^H6430 for seven ^H7651 months ^H2320.

2 And the Philistines ^H6430 called ^H7121 for the priests ^H3548 and the diviners ^H7080, saying ^H559, “What ^H4100 are we to do ^H6213 with the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068? Tell ^H3045 us [fn]how ^H4100 we may send ^H7971 it to its place ^H4725.” 3 And they said ^H559, “If ^H518 you are going to send ^H7971 the ark ^H727 of the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 away ^H7971, do not send ^H7971 it empty ^H7387; but you shall certainly ^H7725 return ^H7725 to Him a guilt ^H817 offering ^H817. Then ^H227 you will be healed ^H7495, and it will be revealed ^H3045 to you why ^H4100 His hand ^H3027 does not leave ^H5493 you.” 4 Then they said ^H559, “What ^H4100 is to be the guilt ^H817 offering ^H817 that we shall return ^H7725 to Him?” And they said ^H559, “Five ^H2568 gold ^H2091 tumors ^H6076 and five ^H2568 gold ^H2091 mice ^H5909 corresponding to the number ^H4557 of the governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430, since ^H3588 one ^H259 plague ^H4046 was on all ^H3605 of [fn]you and on your governors ^H5633. 5 So you shall make ^H6213 likenesses ^H6754 of your tumors ^H6076 and likenesses ^H6754 of your mice ^H5909 that are ruining ^H7843 the land ^H776, and you shall give ^H5414 glory ^H3519 to the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478; perhaps ^H194 He will lighten ^H7043 His hand ^H3027 from you, your gods ^H430, and your land ^H776. 6 Why ^H4100 then do you harden ^H3513 your hearts ^H3824 as the Egyptians ^H4714 and Pharaoh ^H6547 hardened ^H3513 their hearts ^H3820? When ^H834 He had severely ^H5953 dealt ^H5953 with them, did they not let ^H7971 [fn]the people go ^H7971, and they left ^H1980? 7 Now ^H6258 then, take ^H3947 and prepare ^H6213 a new ^H2319 cart ^H5699 and two ^H8147 milk ^H5763 cows ^H6510 on which ^H834 there has never ^H3808 been ^H5927 a yoke ^H5923; and hitch ^H631 the cows ^H6510 to the cart ^H5699 and take ^H7725 their calves ^H1121 back ^H7725 home ^H1004, away ^H310 from them. 8 Then take ^H3947 the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068 and place ^H5414 it on the cart ^H5699; and put ^H7760 the articles ^H3627 of gold ^H2091 which ^H834 you return ^H7725 to Him as a guilt ^H817 offering ^H817 in a saddlebag ^H712 by its side ^H6654. Then send ^H7971 it away ^H7971 that it may go ^H1980. 9 But watch ^H7200: if ^H518 it goes ^H5927 up ^H5927 by the way ^H1870 of its own territory ^H1366 to Beth-shemesh ^H1053, then He has done ^H6213 this ^H2088 great ^H1419 evil ^H7451 to us. But if ^H518 not, then we will know ^H3045 that it was not His hand ^H3027 that struck ^H5060 us; it happened ^H1961 to us by chance ^H4745.”

10 Then the men ^H376 did ^H6213 so ^H3651: they took ^H3947 two ^H8147 milk ^H5763 cows ^H6510 and hitched ^H631 them to the cart ^H5699, and shut ^H3607 in their calves ^H1121 at home ^H1004. 11 And they put ^H7760 the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068 on the cart ^H5699, and the saddlebag ^H712 with the gold ^H2091 mice ^H5909 and the likenesses ^H6754 of their tumors ^H2914. 12 Now the cows ^H6510 went ^H3474 straight ^H3474 in the [fn]direction ^H1870 of Beth-shemesh ^H1053; they went ^H1980 on the same ^H259 road ^H4546, bellowing ^H1600 as they went ^H1980, and did not turn ^H5493 off ^H5493 to the right ^H3225 or to the left ^H8040. And the governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 followed ^H1980 H310 them to the border ^H1366 of Beth-shemesh ^H1053.

13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh ^H1053 were gathering ^H7114 in ^H7114 their wheat ^H2406 harvest ^H7105 in the valley ^H6010, and they raised ^H5375 their eyes ^H5869 and saw ^H7200 the ark ^H727, and rejoiced ^H8055 at seeing ^H7200 it. 14 And the cart ^H5699 came ^H935 into the field ^H7704 of Joshua ^H3091 the Beth-shemite ^H1030 and stopped ^H5975 there ^H8033 where there ^H8033 was a large ^H1419 stone ^H68; and they split ^H1234 the wood ^H6086 of the cart ^H5699 and offered ^H5927 the cows ^H6510 as a burnt ^H5930 offering ^H5930 to the LORD ^H3068. 15 And the Levites ^H3881 took ^H3381 down ^H3381 the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068 and the saddlebag ^H712 that was with it, in which ^H834 were the articles ^H3627 of gold ^H2091, and put ^H7760 them on the large ^H1419 stone ^H68; and the men ^H376 of Beth-shemesh ^H1053 offered ^H5927 burnt ^H5930 offerings ^H5930 and sacrificed ^H2076 sacrifices ^H2077 that day ^H3117 to the LORD ^H3068. 16 When the five ^H2568 governors ^H5633 of the Philistines ^H6430 saw ^H7200 it, they returned ^H7725 to Ekron ^H6138 that day ^H3117.

17 Now these ^H428 are the gold ^H2091 tumors ^H2914 which ^H834 the Philistines ^H6430 returned ^H7725 as a guilt ^H817 offering ^H817 to the LORD ^H3068: one ^H259 for Ashdod ^H795, one ^H259 for Gaza ^H5804, one ^H259 for Ashkelon ^H831, one ^H259 for Gath ^H1661, and one ^H259 for Ekron ^H6138; 18 and the gold ^H2091 mice ^H5909, corresponding to the number ^H4557 of all ^H3605 the cities ^H5892 of the Philistines ^H6430 belonging to the five ^H2568 governors ^H5633, both ^H4480 of fortified ^H4013 cities ^H5892 and of country ^H6521 villages ^H3724. The large ^H1419 [fn]stone ^H68 on which ^H834 they placed ^H5117 the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068 is a witness to this ^H2088 day ^H3117 in the field ^H7704 of Joshua ^H3091 the Beth-shemite ^H1030.

19 Now He fatally ^H5221 struck ^H5221 some of the men ^H376 of Beth-shemesh ^H1053 because ^H3588 they had looked ^H7200 into the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068. He struck ^H5221 50,070 ^{H7657 H2572 H505} men ^H376 among the people ^H5971, and the people ^H5971 mourned ^H56 because ^H3588 the LORD ^H3068 had struck ^H5221 the people ^H5971 with a great ^H1419 slaughter ^H4347. 20 And the men ^H376 of Beth-shemesh ^H1053 said ^H559, “Who ^H4310 is ^H3201 able ^H3201 to stand ^H5975 before ^H6440 the LORD ^H3068, this ^H2088 holy ^H6918 God ^H430? And to whom ^H4310 will He go ^H5927 up ^H5927 from us?” 21 So they sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to the inhabitants ^H3427 of Kiriath-jearim ^H7157, saying ^H559, “The Philistines ^H6430 have brought ^H7725 back ^H7725 the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068; come ^H3381 down ^H3381 and take ^H5927 it up ^H5927 to yourselves.”