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1 Samuel 5-7
New International Version

The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron

5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer(A) to Ashdod.(B) 2 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.(C) 3 When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen(D) on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 4 But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken(E) off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold.(F)

6 The Lord’s hand(G) was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation(H) on them and afflicted them with tumors.[a](I) 7 When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the god of Israel must not stay here with us, because his hand is heavy on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they called together all the rulers(J) of the Philistines and asked them, “What shall we do with the ark of the god of Israel?”

They answered, “Have the ark of the god of Israel moved to Gath.(K)” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.

9 But after they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic.(L) He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors.[b] 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.(M)

As the ark of God was entering Ekron, the people of Ekron cried out, “They have brought the ark of the god of Israel around to us to kill us and our people.” 11 So they called together all the rulers(N) of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it[c] will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it. 12 Those who did not die(O) were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

6 When the ark of the Lord had been in Philistine territory seven months, 2 the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners(P) and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

3 They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift;(Q) by all means send a guilt offering(R) to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand(S) has not been lifted from you.”

4 The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”

They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number(T) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague(U) has struck both you and your rulers. 5 Make models of the tumors(V) and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory(W) to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land. 6 Why do you harden(X) your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them,(Y) did they(Z) not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

7 “Now then, get a new cart(AA) ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked.(AB) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8 Take the ark of the Lord and put it on the cart, and in a chest beside it put the gold objects you are sending back to him as a guilt offering. Send it on its way, 9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh,(AC) then the Lord has brought this great disaster on us. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us but that it happened to us by chance.”

10 So they did this. They took two such cows and hitched them to the cart and penned up their calves. 11 They placed the ark of the Lord on the cart and along with it the chest containing the gold rats and the models of the tumors. 12 Then the cows went straight up toward Beth Shemesh, keeping on the road and lowing all the way; they did not turn to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed them as far as the border of Beth Shemesh.

13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat(AD) in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and there it stopped beside a large rock. The people chopped up the wood of the cart and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering(AE) to the Lord. 15 The Levites(AF) took down the ark of the Lord, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock.(AG) On that day the people of Beth Shemesh(AH) offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 16 The five rulers of the Philistines saw all this and then returned that same day to Ekron.

17 These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord—one each(AI) for Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron. 18 And the number of the gold rats was according to the number of Philistine towns belonging to the five rulers—the fortified towns with their country villages. The large rock on which the Levites set the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

19 But God struck down(AJ) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy[d] of them to death because they looked(AK) into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them. 20 And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand(AL) in the presence of the Lord, this holy(AM) God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

21 Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim,(AN) saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to your town.” 7 1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark(AO) of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s(AP) house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. 2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim(AQ) a long time—twenty years in all.

Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.(AR) 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning(AS) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid(AT) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths(AU) and commit(AV) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,(AW) and he will deliver(AX) you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 Then Samuel(AY) said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,(AZ) and I will intercede(BA) with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah,(BB) they drew water and poured(BC) it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader[e](BD) of Israel at Mizpah.

7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid(BE) because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying(BF) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel(BG) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.(BH)

10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered(BI) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic(BJ) that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

12 Then Samuel took a stone(BK) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[f](BL) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13 So the Philistines were subdued(BM) and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron(BN) to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.(BO)

15 Samuel(BP) continued as Israel’s leader(BQ) all(BR) the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel(BS) to Gilgal(BT) to Mizpah, judging(BU) Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah,(BV) where his home was, and there he also held court(BW) for Israel. And he built an altar(BX) there to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 5:6 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate tumors. And rats appeared in their land, and there was death and destruction throughout the city
  2. 1 Samuel 5:9 Or with tumors in the groin (see Septuagint)
  3. 1 Samuel 5:11 Or he
  4. 1 Samuel 6:19 A few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint 50,070
  5. 1 Samuel 7:6 Traditionally judge; also in verse 15
  6. 1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help.
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1 Samuel 5-7
New King James Version

The Philistines and the Ark

5 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it (A)from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 2 When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of (B)Dagon[a] and set it by Dagon. 3 And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, (C)fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and (D)set it in its place again. 4 And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. (E)The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only [b]Dagon’s torso was left of it. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house (F)tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 But the (G)hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He (H)ravaged them and struck them with (I)tumors,[c] both Ashdod and its (J)territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the (K)God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” 8 Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the (L)lords of the Philistines, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?”

And they answered, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to (M)Gath.” So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 So it was, after they had carried it away, that (N)the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, [d]and tumors broke out on them.

10 Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!” 11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people.” For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the (O)cry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

6 Now the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines (P)called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”

3 So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it (Q)empty; but by all means return it to Him with (R)a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

4 Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?”

They answered, (S)“Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of [e]you and on your lords. 5 Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that (T)ravage the land, and you shall (U)give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will (V)lighten[f] His hand from you, from (W)your gods, and from your land. 6 Why then do you harden your hearts (X)as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, (Y)did they not let the people go, that they might depart? 7 Now therefore, make (Z)a new cart, take two milk cows (AA)which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of the Lord and set it on the cart; and put (AB)the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away, and let it go. 9 And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to (AC)Beth Shemesh, then He has done [g]us this great evil. But if not, then (AD)we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us—it happened to us by chance.”

10 Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they set the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. 12 Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the (AE)highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.

13 Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their (AF)wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as 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 were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the Lord. 16 So when (AG)the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17 (AH)These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for (AI)Gath, one for Ekron; 18 and the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages, even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they set the ark of the Lord, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

19 Then (AJ)He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. [h]He (AK)struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

The Ark at Kirjath Jearim

20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, (AL)“Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? And to whom shall it go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of (AM)Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up with you.”

Israel Defeats the Philistines

7 Then the men of (AN)Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of (AO)Abinadab on the hill, and (AP)consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you (AQ)return to the Lord with all your hearts, then (AR)put away the foreign gods and the (AS)Ashtoreths[i] from among you, and (AT)prepare your hearts for the Lord, and (AU)serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the children of Israel put away the (AV)Baals and the [j]Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 And Samuel said, (AW)“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and (AX)I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, (AY)drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they (AZ)fasted that day, and said there, (BA)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, (BB)“Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9 And Samuel took a (BC)suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then (BD)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. (BE)But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and [k]drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel (BF)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name [l]Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13 (BG)So the Philistines were subdued, and they (BH)did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 And Samuel (BI)judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 But (BJ)he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he (BK)built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 5:2 A Philistine idol
  2. 1 Samuel 5:4 So with LXX, Syr., Tg., Vg.; MT Dagon
  3. 1 Samuel 5:6 Probably bubonic plague. LXX, Vg. add And in the midst of their land rats sprang up, and there was a great death panic in the city.
  4. 1 Samuel 5:9 Vg. and they had tumors in their secret parts
  5. 1 Samuel 6:4 Lit. them
  6. 1 Samuel 6:5 ease
  7. 1 Samuel 6:9 this calamity to us
  8. 1 Samuel 6:19 Or He struck seventy men of the people and fifty oxen of a man
  9. 1 Samuel 7:3 Images of Canaanite goddesses
  10. 1 Samuel 7:4 Images of Canaanite goddesses
  11. 1 Samuel 7:11 struck them down
  12. 1 Samuel 7:12 Lit. Stone of Help
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1 Samuel 5-7
New American Standard Bible

Capture of the Ark Provokes God

5 Now the Philistines took the ark of God and (A)brought it from Ebenezer to (B)Ashdod. 2 Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into (C)the house of Dagon, and placed it beside Dagon. 3 When the Ashdodites got up early the next day, behold, (D)Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and (E)set him back in his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, behold, (F)Dagon had fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. And the head of Dagon and both palms of his hands were cut off on the threshold; [a]only the torso of Dagon was left. 5 For that reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house (G)step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

6 Now (H)the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites, and (I)He made them feel devastated and struck them with (J)tumors, both Ashdod and its territories. 7 When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, because His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god.” 8 So they sent word and (K)gathered all the governors of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” And they said, “Have the ark of the God of Israel [b]brought to Gath.” So they took the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 After they had taken it away, (L)the hand of the Lord was against the city, creating a very great panic; and He struck the people of the city, from the young to the old, so that (M)tumors broke out on them. 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And as the ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to [c]us, to kill [d]us and [e]our people!” 11 Therefore they (N)sent word and gathered all the governors of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the ark of the God of Israel and let it return to its own place, so that it will not kill [f]us and [g]our people!” For there was a deadly panic throughout the city; (O)the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the people who did not die were struck with tumors, and (P)the outcry of the city went up to heaven.

The Ark Returned to Israel

6 Now the ark of the Lord had been in the territory of the Philistines for seven months. 2 And (Q)the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What are we to do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us [h]how we may send it to its place.” 3 And they said, “If you are going to send the ark of the God of Israel away, (R)do not send it empty; but you shall certainly (S)return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be revealed to you why His hand does not leave you.” 4 Then they said, “What is to be the guilt offering that we shall return to Him?” And they said, “Five gold (T)tumors and five gold mice (U)corresponding to the number of the governors of the Philistines, since one plague was on all of [i]you and on your governors. 5 So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that are ruining the land, and (V)you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps (W)He will lighten His hand from you, (X)your gods, and your land. 6 Why then do you harden your hearts (Y)as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, (Z)did they not let [j]the people go, and they left? 7 Now then, take and (AA)prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there (AB)has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves back home, away from them. 8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart; and put (AC)the articles of gold which you return to Him as (AD)a guilt offering in a saddlebag by its side. Then send it away that it may go. 9 But watch: if it goes up by the way of its own territory to (AE)Beth-shemesh, then He has done this great evil to us. But if not, then (AF)we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.”

10 Then the men did so: they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut in their calves at home. 11 And they put the ark of the Lord on the cart, and the saddlebag with the gold mice and the likenesses of their tumors. 12 Now the cows went straight in the [k]direction of (AG)Beth-shemesh; they went on (AH)the same road, bellowing as they went, and did not turn off to the right or to the left. And the governors of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were gathering in their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced at seeing it. 14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite and stopped there where there was a large stone; and they split the wood of the cart and (AI)offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And (AJ)the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the saddlebag that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone; and the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices that day to the Lord. 16 When the (AK)five governors of the Philistines saw it, they returned to Ekron that day.

17 Now (AL)these are the gold tumors which the Philistines returned as a guilt offering to the Lord: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, and one for Ekron; 18 and the gold mice, corresponding to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five governors, (AM)both of fortified cities and of country villages. (AN)The large [l]stone on which they placed the ark of the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-shemite.

19 (AO)Now He fatally struck some of the men of Beth-shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord. He struck 50,070 men among the people, and the people mourned because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth-shemesh said, “(AP)Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? And to whom will He go up from us?” 21 So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of (AQ)Kiriath-jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord; come down and take it up to yourselves.”

Israel Saved from the Philistines

7 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and (AR)brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they [m]consecrated his son Eleazar to watch over the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the [n]time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel [o]mourned after the Lord.

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “(AS)If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then (AT)remove the foreign gods and the (AU)Ashtaroth from among you, and (AV)direct your hearts to the Lord and (AW)serve Him alone; and He will save you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord alone.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to (AX)Mizpah and (AY)I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and (AZ)poured it out before the Lord, and (BA)fasted on that day and said there, “(BB)We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the governors of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard about it, (BC)they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “(BD)Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines!” 9 Samuel took (BE)a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and (BF)the Lord answered him. 10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines advanced to battle Israel. But (BG)the Lord thundered with a great [p]thunder on that day against the Philistines and (BH)confused them, so that they were struck down before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel came out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and killed them as far as below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel (BI)took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it [q]Ebenezer, saying, “[r]So far the Lord has helped us.” 13 (BJ)So the Philistines were subdued, and (BK)they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel [s]recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and (BL)the Amorites.

Samuel’s Ministry

15 Now Samuel (BM)judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he used to go annually on a circuit to (BN)Bethel, (BO)Gilgal, and (BP)Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would make his return to (BQ)Ramah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Israel; and there he (BR)built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 5:4 As in ancient versions; MT only Dagon
  2. 1 Samuel 5:8 Lit turn to
  3. 1 Samuel 5:10 Lit me
  4. 1 Samuel 5:10 Lit me
  5. 1 Samuel 5:10 Lit my
  6. 1 Samuel 5:11 Lit me
  7. 1 Samuel 5:11 Lit my
  8. 1 Samuel 6:2 Or what...send with it
  9. 1 Samuel 6:4 Lit them
  10. 1 Samuel 6:6 Lit them
  11. 1 Samuel 6:12 Lit way
  12. 1 Samuel 6:18 As in some mss and ancient versions; MT Abel
  13. 1 Samuel 7:1 Lit made holy; i.e., ordained
  14. 1 Samuel 7:2 Lit days increased
  15. 1 Samuel 7:2 Or followed after
  16. 1 Samuel 7:10 Lit voice
  17. 1 Samuel 7:12 I.e., the stone of help
  18. 1 Samuel 7:12 Lit As far as here
  19. 1 Samuel 7:14 Lit saved
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1 Samuel 5-7
New Living Translation

The Ark in Philistia

5 After the Philistines captured the Ark of God, they took it from the battleground at Ebenezer to the town of Ashdod. 2 They carried the Ark of God into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside an idol of Dagon. 3 But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord! So they took Dagon and put him in his place again. 4 But the next morning the same thing happened—Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact. 5 That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor anyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod will step on its threshold.

6 Then the Lord’s heavy hand struck the people of Ashdod and the nearby villages with a plague of tumors.[a] 7 When the people realized what was happening, they cried out, “We can’t keep the Ark of the God of Israel here any longer! He is against us! We will all be destroyed along with Dagon, our god.” 8 So they called together the rulers of the Philistine towns and asked, “What should we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?”

The rulers discussed it and replied, “Move it to the town of Gath.” So they moved the Ark of the God of Israel to Gath. 9 But when the Ark arrived at Gath, the Lord’s heavy hand fell on its men, young and old; he struck them with a plague of tumors, and there was a great panic.

10 So they sent the Ark of God to the town of Ekron, but when the people of Ekron saw it coming they cried out, “They are bringing the Ark of the God of Israel here to kill us, too!” 11 The people summoned the Philistine rulers again and begged them, “Please send the Ark of the God of Israel back to its own country, or it[b] will kill us all.” For the deadly plague from God had already begun, and great fear was sweeping across the town. 12 Those who didn’t die were afflicted with tumors; and the cry from the town rose to heaven.

The Philistines Return the Ark

6 The Ark of the Lord remained in Philistine territory seven months in all. 2 Then the Philistines called in their priests and diviners and asked them, “What should we do about the Ark of the Lord? Tell us how to return it to its own country.”

3 “Send the Ark of the God of Israel back with a gift,” they were told. “Send a guilt offering so the plague will stop. Then, if you are healed, you will know it was his hand that caused the plague.”

4 “What sort of guilt offering should we send?” they asked.

And they were told, “Since the plague has struck both you and your five rulers, make five gold tumors and five gold rats, just like those that have ravaged your land. 5 Make these things to show honor to the God of Israel. Perhaps then he will stop afflicting you, your gods, and your land. 6 Don’t be stubborn and rebellious as Pharaoh and the Egyptians were. By the time God was finished with them, they were eager to let Israel go.

7 “Now build a new cart, and find two cows that have just given birth to calves. Make sure the cows have never been yoked to a cart. Hitch the cows to the cart, but shut their calves away from them in a pen. 8 Put the Ark of the Lord on the cart, and beside it place a chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors you are sending as a guilt offering. Then let the cows go wherever they want. 9 If they cross the border of our land and go to Beth-shemesh, we will know it was the Lord who brought this great disaster upon us. If they don’t, we will know it was not his hand that caused the plague. It came simply by chance.”

10 So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen. 11 Then the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart. 12 And sure enough, without veering off in other directions, the cows went straight along the road toward Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed! 14 The cart came into the field of a man named Joshua and stopped beside a large rock. So the people broke up the wood of the cart for a fire and killed the cows and sacrificed them to the Lord as a burnt offering. 15 Several men of the tribe of Levi lifted the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors from the cart and placed them on the large rock. Many sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered to the Lord that day by the people of Beth-shemesh. 16 The five Philistine rulers watched all this and then returned to Ekron that same day.

17 The five gold tumors sent by the Philistines as a guilt offering to the Lord were gifts from the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 18 The five gold rats represented the five Philistine towns and their surrounding villages, which were controlled by the five rulers. The large rock[c] at Beth-shemesh, where they set the Ark of the Lord, still stands in the field of Joshua as a witness to what happened there.

The Ark Moved to Kiriath-Jearim

19 But the Lord killed seventy men[d] from Beth-shemesh because they looked into the Ark of the Lord. And the people mourned greatly because of what the Lord had done. 20 “Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?” they cried out. “Where can we send the Ark from here?”

21 So they sent messengers to the people at Kiriath-jearim and told them, “The Philistines have returned the Ark of the Lord. Come here and get it!”

7 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the Lord. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. 2 The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the Lord had abandoned them.

Samuel Leads Israel to Victory

3 Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord.

5 Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)

7 When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. 8 “Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. 9 So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.

10 Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the Lord spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. 11 The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way.

12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah.[e] He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

13 So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the Lord’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. 14 The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days.

15 Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life. 16 Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. 17 Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the Lord at Ramah.

Footnotes

  1. 5:6 Greek version and Latin Vulgate read tumors; and rats appeared in their land, and death and destruction were throughout the city.
  2. 5:11 Or he.
  3. 6:18 As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Greek version; most Hebrew manuscripts read great meadow or Abel-haggedolah.
  4. 6:19 As in a few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts read 70 men, 50,000 men. Perhaps the text should be understood to read the Lord killed 70 men and 50 oxen.
  5. 7:12 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads Shen.
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1 Samuel 5-7
The Message

Threatened with Mass Death

5 1-2 Once the Philistines had seized the Chest of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the shrine of Dagon, and placed it alongside the idol of Dagon.

3-5 Next morning when the citizens of Ashdod got up, they were shocked to find Dagon toppled from his place, flat on his face before the Chest of God. They picked him up and put him back where he belonged. First thing the next morning they found him again, toppled and flat on his face before the Chest of God. Dagon’s head and arms were broken off, strewn across the entrance. Only his torso was in one piece. (That’s why even today, the priests of Dagon and visitors to the Dagon shrine in Ashdod avoid stepping on the threshold.)

6 God was hard on the citizens of Ashdod. He devastated them by hitting them with tumors. This happened in both the town and the surrounding neighborhoods. He let loose rats among them. Jumping from ships there, rats swarmed all over the city! And everyone was deathly afraid.

7-8 When the leaders of Ashdod saw what was going on, they decided, “The chest of the god of Israel has got to go. We can’t handle this, and neither can our god Dagon.” They called together all the Philistine leaders and put it to them: “How can we get rid of the chest of the god of Israel?”

The leaders agreed: “Move it to Gath.” So they moved the Chest of the God of Israel to Gath.

9 But as soon as they moved it there, God came down hard on that city, too. It was mass hysteria! He hit them with tumors. Tumors broke out on everyone in town, young and old.

10-12 So they sent the Chest of God on to Ekron, but as the Chest was being brought into town, the people shouted in protest, “You’ll kill us all by bringing in this Chest of the God of Israel!” They called the Philistine leaders together and demanded, “Get it out of here, this Chest of the God of Israel. Send it back where it came from. We’re threatened with mass death!” For everyone was scared to death when the Chest of God showed up. God was already coming down very hard on the place. Those who didn’t die were hit with tumors. All over the city cries of pain and lament filled the air.

Gold Tumors and Rats

6 1-2 After the Chest of God had been among the Philistine people for seven months, the Philistine leaders called together their religious professionals, the priests, and experts on the supernatural for consultation: “How can we get rid of this Chest of God, get it off our hands without making things worse? Tell us!”

3 They said, “If you’re going to send the Chest of the God of Israel back, don’t just dump it on them. Pay compensation. Then you will be healed. After you’re in the clear again, God will let up on you. Why wouldn’t he?”

4-6 “And what exactly would make for adequate compensation?”

“Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “to match the number of Philistine leaders. Since all of you—leaders and people—suffered the same plague, make replicas of the tumors and rats that are devastating the country and present them as an offering to the glory of the God of Israel. Then maybe he’ll ease up and not be so hard on you and your gods, and on your country. Why be stubborn like the Egyptians and Pharaoh? God didn’t quit pounding on them until they let the people go. Only then did he let up.

7-9 “So here’s what you do: Take a brand-new oxcart and two cows that have never been in harness. Hitch the cows to the oxcart and send their calves back to the barn. Put the Chest of God on the cart. Secure the gold replicas of the tumors and rats that you are offering as compensation in a sack and set them next to the Chest. Then send it off. But keep your eyes on it. If it heads straight back home to where it came from, toward Beth Shemesh, it is clear that this catastrophe is a divine judgment, but if not, we’ll know that God had nothing to do with it—it was just an accident.”

10-12 So that’s what they did: They hitched two cows to the cart, put their calves in the barn, and placed the Chest of God and the sack of gold rats and tumors on the cart. The cows headed straight for home, down the road to Beth Shemesh, straying neither right nor left, mooing all the way. The Philistine leaders followed them to the outskirts of Beth Shemesh.

13-15 The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Chest. Elated, they ran to meet it. The cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth Shemeshite, and stopped there beside a huge boulder. The harvesters tore the cart to pieces, then chopped up the wood and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to God. The Levites took charge of the Chest of God and the sack containing the gold offerings, placing them on the boulder. Offering the sacrifices, everyone in Beth Shemesh worshiped God most heartily that day.

16 When the five Philistine leaders saw what they came to see, they returned the same day to Ekron.

17-18 The five gold replicas of the tumors were offered by the Philistines in compensation for the cities of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The five gold rats matched the number of Philistine towns, both large and small, ruled by the five leaders. The big boulder on which they placed the Chest of God is still there in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, a landmark.

If You Are Serious About Coming Back to God

19-20 God struck some of the men of Beth Shemesh who, out of curiosity, irreverently peeked into the Chest of God. Seventy died. The whole town was in mourning, reeling under the hard blow from God, and questioning, “Who can stand before God, this holy God? And who can we get to take this Chest off our hands?”

21 They sent emissaries to Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the Chest of God. Come down and get it.”

7 And they did. The men of Kiriath Jearim came and got the Chest of God and delivered it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They ordained his son, Eleazar, to take responsibility for the Chest of God.

2 From the time that the Chest came to rest in Kiriath Jearim, a long time passed—twenty years it was—and throughout Israel there was a widespread, fearful movement toward God.

3 Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.”

4 They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to God.

5 Next Samuel said, “Get everybody together at Mizpah and I’ll pray for you.”

6 So everyone assembled at Mizpah. They drew water from the wells and poured it out before God in a ritual of cleansing. They fasted all day and prayed, “We have sinned against God.”

So Samuel prepared the Israelites for holy war there at Mizpah.

The Place Where God Helped Us

7 When the Philistines heard that Israel was meeting at Mizpah, the Philistine leaders went on the offensive. Israel got the report and became frightened—Philistines on the move again!

8 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray with all your might! And don’t let up! Pray to God, our God, that he’ll save us from the boot of the Philistines.”

9 Samuel took a young lamb not yet weaned and offered it whole as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God. He prayed fervently to God, interceding for Israel. And God answered.

10-12 While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked—mass confusion!—and scattered before Israel. Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car. Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where God helped us.”

13-14 The Philistines learned their lesson and stayed home—no more border crossings. God was hard on the Philistines all through Samuel’s lifetime. All the cities from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored. Israel also freed the surrounding countryside from Philistine control. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15-17 Samuel gave solid leadership to Israel his entire life. Every year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He gave leadership to Israel in each of these places. But always he would return to Ramah, where he lived, and preside from there. That is where he built an altar to God.

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