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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. 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stopped there near a large rock. And they split the wood of the cart, and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the chest that was with it, in which the articles of gold were, and put them on the large rock. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to the LORD. 16 When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon 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 fortified cities and of country villages. The large rock on which they set down the ark of the LORD is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Bethshemite. 19 But the sons of Jeconiah did not rejoice with the people of Beth Shemesh when they saw the ark of the LORD. So he struck seventy men of them, and the people mourned, because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, |Who is able to stand before this holy thing? And to whom should he go up from here?| 21 They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, |The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down, and bring it up to yourselves.| 1 Samuel 6:12-21, New Heart English Bible. Public domain.
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