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^(A) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague^(B) has struck both you and your rulers. ⁵ Make models of the tumors^(C) and of the rats that are destroying the country, and give glory^(D) to Israel’s god. Perhaps he will lift his hand from you and your gods and your land.

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.

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.

¹⁷ “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,^(A) following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs,^(B) rats^(C) and other unclean things—they will meet their end^(D) together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.