1 Samuel 6:1-13 ▼

1 The ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

2 The Philistines called for the priests, and for the diviners, and for the magicians, saying, |What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place.|

3 And they said, |If you are going to send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty. But return to him a reparation, then you shall be healed and he will be reconciled to you. Will not, then, his hand be removed from you?|

4 Then they said, |What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?| They said, |Five golden tumors, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on you and your lords.

5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors, and images of the mice that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

6 Why then do you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

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 take their calves from them back home;

8 and take the ark, and lay it on the cart; and put the figures of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go.

9 And watch; if it goes up by the way of its own territory 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.|

10 The men did so, and took two milk cows, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home;

11 and they put the ark on the cart, and the box with the mice of gold and the images of their tumors.

12 The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh; they went along the highway, mooing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. And the lords of the Philistines followed them to the territory of Beth Shemesh.

13 And those of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to meet it.