1 ¶ And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. See also: Psalms 78:61 1 Samuel 5:1 1 Samuel 5:3 1 Samuel 5:10-11
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. See also: Genesis 41:8 Exodus 7:11 Daniel 2:2 Daniel 5:7 Isaiah 2:6
3 And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you. See also: Exodus 23:15 Deuteronomy 16:16 1 Samuel 6:9 Exodus 34:20 Leviticus 5:6
4 Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, 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. See also: Joshua 13:3 Judges 3:3 1 Samuel 6:17-18 1 Samuel 5:6 1 Samuel 5:9
5 Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and 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. See also: Joshua 7:19 1 Samuel 5:6-7 1 Samuel 5:11 1 Samuel 5:3-4 Isaiah 42:12
6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? See also: Exodus 7:13 Exodus 8:15 Exodus 14:17 Exodus 9:34 Exodus 8:32
7 Now therefore make a 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: See also: Numbers 19:2 2 Samuel 6:3 1 Chronicles 13:7
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. See also: 1 Samuel 6:3-5
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. See also: Joshua 15:10 Joshua 21:16 1 Samuel 6:3 2 Samuel 1:6 Ecclesiastes 9:11
10 ¶ And the men 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. See also: 1 Chronicles 15:13-15 2 Samuel 6:3 1 Chronicles 13:7
12 And the kine took the straight way to the 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. See also: Numbers 20:19
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 it.
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. See also: 2 Samuel 24:22 Judges 21:4 Exodus 20:24 Judges 6:26 1 Samuel 7:9-17
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: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. See also: Joshua 3:3
16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. See also: Joshua 13:3 Judges 3:3 1 Samuel 6:4 Judges 16:5 Judges 16:23-30
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; See also: 2 Samuel 1:20 Judges 1:18 Judges 16:1 Judges 16:21 1 Samuel 5:1
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. See also: Deuteronomy 3:5 Joshua 13:3 1 Samuel 6:14-16
19 ¶ And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter. See also: Numbers 4:20 Exodus 19:21 Numbers 4:15 2 Samuel 6:7 Colossians 2:18
20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us? See also: 2 Samuel 6:9 Malachi 3:2 Revelation 6:17 Leviticus 11:45 Numbers 17:12-13
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you. See also: 1 Chronicles 13:5-6 Joshua 9:17 Joshua 18:14 Joshua 15:9 Joshua 15:60