1 Samuel 6:1-18

1 Samuel 6:1-18

[1] 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  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  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 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,  and Pharaoh  hardened  their hearts?  when he had wrought wonderfully  among them, did they not let the people go,  [7] Now therefore make  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] 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  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  [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:  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.