1 Samuel 6:1-8

Legacy Standard Bible

The Ark Returned to Israel

6 Now the ark of Yahweh had been in the ^[a]fields of the Philistines seven months. ² And ^(A)the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of Yahweh? Make us know ^[b]how we shall send it to its place.” ³ So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, ^(B)do not send it empty; but you shall surely ^(C)return to Him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not turned away from you.” ⁴ Then they said, “What shall be the guilt offering which we shall return to Him?” And they said, “Five golden ^(D)tumors and five golden mice ^(E)according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on all of ^[c]you and on your lords. ⁵ So you shall make likenesses of your tumors and likenesses of your mice that bring the land to ruin, and ^(F)you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps ^(G)He will ease His hand from you, ^(H)your gods, and your land. ⁶ Why then do you ^[d]harden your hearts ^(I)as the Egyptians and Pharaoh ^[e]hardened their hearts? When He had abused them, ^(J)did they not allow ^[f]the people to go, and they went? ⁷ So now, take and ^(K)make a new cart and two milch cows on which there ^(L)has never been a yoke; and hitch the cows to the cart and take their calves home, away from them. ⁸ And take the ark of Yahweh and place it on the cart; and put ^(M)the articles of gold which you return to Him as ^(N)a guilt offering in a box by its side. Then send it away that it may go.