1 SamuelJudaism / Hebrew BibleAccepted ScriptureBiblical Hebrew / AramaicShare1 Samuel 6WEB - EnglishMoreVersion - 9 availableWorld English BibleKing James VersionAmerican Standard VersionDarby BibleYoung's Literal TranslationWebster BibleGeneva BibleDouay-Rheims ChallonerReina-Valera 1909WEBKJVASVDarbyYLTWebsterGenevaDouayRV1909LanguageEnglishEspañol‹1 Samuel 11 Samuel 21 Samuel 31 Samuel 41 Samuel 51 Samuel 61 Samuel 71 Samuel 81 Samuel 91 Samuel 101 Samuel 111 Samuel 121 Samuel 131 Samuel 141 Samuel 151 Samuel 161 Samuel 171 Samuel 181 Samuel 191 Samuel 201 Samuel 211 Samuel 221 Samuel 231 Samuel 241 Samuel 251 Samuel 261 Samuel 271 Samuel 281 Samuel 291 Samuel 301 Samuel 31›1 Samuel 6ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with Yahweh’s ark? Show us how we should send it to its place.” 3They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return a trespass offering to him. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.” 4Then they said, “What should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords. 5Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. 6Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they 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 bring their calves home from them; 8and take Yahweh’s ark and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go. 9Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border 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.” 10The men did so, and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11They put Yahweh’s ark on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors. 12The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. 13The people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone. Then they split the wood of the cart and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh. 15The Levites took down Yahweh’s ark and the box that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh. 16When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one; 18and 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, even to the great stone on which they set down Yahweh’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. 19He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?” 21They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back Yahweh’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.” ‹Previous chapter1 Samuel 5Next chapter1 Samuel 7›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Versions1 Samuel 6 across 9 versionsShow all 9WEB - World English BibleKJV - King James VersionASV - American Standard VersionDarby - Darby BibleYLT - Young's Literal TranslationWebster - Webster BibleGeneva - Geneva BibleDouay - Douay-Rheims ChallonerRV1909 - Reina-Valera 1909Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public Domain