Reformation Directory

1 The time that the Arke was with the Philistíms which they sent againe with a gift 12 It commeth to Beth-shémesh. 17 The Philistíms offer golden emerods 19 The men of Bethshémesh are stricken for loking into the Arke.

1.So the Arke of the Lord was in the country of the Philistíms ^aseven monethes.

2.And the Philistíms called the Priestes and the sothsayers, saying, What shal we do with the Arke of the Lord? tel us wherewith we shal send it home againe?

3.And they said, If you send away the Arke of the God of Israél, send it not away emptie, but give unto it ^ba sinne offring: then shal ye be healed, and it shalbe knowen to you, why his hand departeth not from you.

4.Then said they, What shalbe the sinne offring, which we shal give unto it? And they answered, Five golden emerods and five golden mice, according to the nomber of the Princes of the Philistíms: for one plague was on you all, and on your princes.

5.Wherefore ye shal make the similitudes of your emerods, and the similitudes of your mice that destroye the land: so ye shal give glorie unto the God of Israél, that he may take his hand from you, and from your ^cgods, and from your land.

6.Wherefore then shulde ye harden your heartes, as the Egyptians and Pharaóh hardened their heartes, when he wroght wonderfully among them, *did they not let them go, and they departed?

7.Now therefore make a newe carte, and take two melche kine, on whom there hathe come no yoke: and tye the kine to the carte, and bring the calves home from them.

8.Then take the Arke of the Lord, & set it upon the carte, and put the ^djewels of golde which ye give it for a sinne offring in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it away, that it may go.

9.And take hede, if it go up by the way of his owne coast to Beth-shémesh, it is ^ehe that did us this great evil: but if not, we shal knowe then, that it is not his hand that smote us, but it was a ^fchance that happened us.

10.And the men did so: for they toke two kine that gave milke, & tyed them to the carte and shut the calves at home.

11.So they set the Arke of the Lord upon the carte, and the coffer with the mice of golde, and with the similitudes of their emerods.

12.And the kine went the streight way to Beth-shémesh, and kept one path and lowed as they went, and turned nether to the right hand nor to the left: also the princes of the Philistíms went after ^gthem, unto the borders of Beth-shémesh.

13.Now they of Beth-shémesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lift up their eyes, and spyed the Arke, and rejoyced when they sawe it.

14.¶ And the carte came into the fielde of Joshúa a Bethshemite, and stode stil there. there was also a great stone, and ^hthey clave the wood of the carte and offred the kine for a burnt offring unto the Lord.

15.And the Levites toke downe the Arke of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of golde were, and put them on the great stone, and the men of Beth-shémesh offred burnt offring, and sacrificed sacrifices that same day unto the Lord.

16.And when the five princes of the Philistíms had sene it, they returned to Ekrón the same day.

17.¶ So these are the golden emerods, which the Philistíms gave for a sinne offering to the Lord: for ⁱAshdód one, for Gazá one, for Askelón one, for Gath one, and for Ekrón one,

18.And golden mice, according to the nomber of all the cities of the Philistíms, belonging to the five princes, bothe of walled townes and of townes unwalled, unto the great stone of ^Abél, whereon they set the Arke of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshúa the Bethshémite.

19.And he smote of the men of Beth-shémesh, because they ^kloked in the Arke of the Lord: he slewe even among the people fiftie thousand men & thre score & ten men and the people lamented, because the Lord had slaine the people with so great a slaughter.

20.Wherefore the men of Beth-shémesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whome shal he go from us?

21.And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriathjearím, saying, The Philistíms have broght againe the Arke of the Lord: come ye downe and take it up to you.

1 Samuel 6

Notes