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Bokosi la Chipangano Libwerera ku Israeli

Bokosi la Yehova linakhala mʼdziko la Afilisti kwa miyezi isanu ndi iwiri. Tsono Afilisti anayitana ansembe ndi amawula ndipo anati, “Tichite nalo chiyani Bokosi la Yehova? Tiwuzeni momwe tidzalitumizira ku malo ake.”

Iwo anayankha kuti, “Ngati mufuna kubweza Bokosi la Mulungu wa Israeli, musalitumize wopanda kanthu, koma muyesetse kulitumiza pamodzi ndi nsembe yopepesera machimo. Mukatero mudzachiritsidwa, ndipo mudzadziwa chifukwa chiyani chilango cha Yehova sichikukuchokani.”

Afilisti anafunsanso kuti “Kodi ife tipereke nsembe yanji yopepesera machimo?”

Iwo anayankha kuti, “Mupereke zifanizo zagolide za zithupsa zisanu ndi zamakoswe asanu malingana ndi chiwerengero cha akalonga a Afilisti popeza mliri womwewo wagwera inu ndi akalonga anu. Mupange zifanizo za zithupsa zisanu ndi za makoswe asanu amene akuwononga dziko lanu ndipo mupereke ulemu kwa Israeli. Mwina adzaleka kuzunza inu, milungu yanu ndi dziko lanu. Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukuwumitsa mitima monga anachita Aigupto ndi Farao? Mulungu atawalanga anthu a ku Igupto aja kodi suja anawalola Aisraeli kuti azipita ndipo anapitadi?

“Tsopano konzani galeta latsopano limodzi ndiponso ngʼombe ziwiri zazikazi zamkaka zimene sizinavalepo goli. Muzimangirire ngʼombezo ku ngoloyo, koma ana awo muwachotse ndi kuwasiya kwanu. Mutenge Bokosi la Yehova ndi kuliyika pa galetapo ndipo pambali pake pakhale Bokosi, mʼmene muyikemonso zinthu zagolide zomwe mukutumiza kwa Iye monga nsembe yopepesera machimo. Kenaka, mulisiye lizipita. Koma muziliyangʼana. Ngati lilondola njira yopita kwawo kwa Bokosilo mpaka ku Beti-Semesi ndiye kuti amene watichita zoyipa zazikulu zoterezi ndi Mulungu wa Israeli. Koma ngati silitero, ife tidzadziwa kuti sanali Mulungu wa Israeli amene watizunza koma kuti zinangochitika mwatsoka.”

10 Anthu aja anachitadi zimenezi. Anatenga ngʼombe zamkaka ziwiri nazimanga ku galeta lija. Koma ana awo anawatsekera mʼkhola. 11 Tsono anayika Bokosi la Yehova pa galeta pamodzi ndi bokosi limene munali makoswe agolide ndi zifanizo zawo za zithupsa. 12 Ngʼombe zija zinapita molunjika kutsata msewu wopita ku Beti Semesi zikulira njira yonse. Sizinakhotere kumanja kapena kumanzere. Akalonga a Afilisti anazitsatira mpaka mʼmalire a Beti-Semesi.

13 Nthawi imeneyi anthu a ku Beti-Semesi amakolola tirigu mʼchigwa ndipo pamene anayangʼana ndi kuona Bokosi la Chipangano likubwera anakondwa. 14 Galeta lija linafika ku munda wa Yoswa ku Beti-Semesi ndipo linayima. Kumeneko kunali mwala waukulu. Tsono anthu anawaza nkhuni galetalo, ndipo anapha ngʼombe zija ndi kuzipereka ngati nsembe zopsereza kwa Yehova. 15 Alevi nʼkuti atatsitsa Bokosi la Yehova, pamodzi ndi bokosi mmene munali zinthu zagolide, ndipo anawayika pa mwala uja waukulu. Tsiku limenelo anthu a ku Beti-Semesi anapereka nsembe yopsereza ndi nsembe zina kwa Yehova. 16 Atsogoleri asanu a Afilisti ataona izi anabwerera ku Ekroni tsiku lomwelo.

17 Zifanizo zagolide za zithupsa zimene Afilisti anatumiza ngati nsembe zopepesera machimo kwa Yehova zinkayimirira mizinda isanu iyi motere: chimodzi cha ku Asidodi, china cha ku Gaza ndi zina za ku Asikeloni, Gati ndi Ekroni. 18 Ndipo chiwerengero cha zifanizo za makoswe chinali chofanana ndi chiwerengero cha mizinda ya akalonga asanu a Afilisti. Mizindayi inali yotetezedwa bwino ndi ina yapamtetete. Mwala waukulu umene anayikapo Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova mʼmunda mwa Yoswa ku Beti-Semesi uli ngati mboni mpaka lero.

19 Yehova anakantha amuna a ku Beti-Semesi 70 chifukwa anasuzumira mʼBokosi la Chipangano cha Yehova. Ndipo anzawo analira chifukwa Yehova anawalanga kwambiri. 20 Tsono anthu a ku Beti-Semesi anafunsa, “Ndani angathe kuyima pamaso pa Yehova Mulungu Woyera? Bokosi la Chipanganoli lipita kuti likachoka pano?”

21 Tsono iwo anatumiza a mithenga kwa anthu a ku Kiriati-Yearimu kuti, “Afilisti atibwezera Bokosi la Yehova. Bwerani kuno mudzalitenge, mupite nalo kwanuko.”

The Ark Returned to Israel

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

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

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

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

“Now then, get a new cart(L) ready, with two cows that have calved and have never been yoked.(M) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 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, but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh,(N) 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(O) 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(P) to the Lord. 15 The Levites(Q) took down the ark of the Lord, together with the chest containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock.(R) On that day the people of Beth Shemesh(S) 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(T) 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(U) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy[a] of them to death because they looked(V) 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(W) in the presence of the Lord, this holy(X) God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

21 Then they sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim,(Y) saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and take it up to your town.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 6:19 A few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint 50,070

And the ark of the Lord was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.

And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.

Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.

Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:

And take the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.

10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:

11 And they laid the ark of the Lord upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.

12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

13 And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the Lord.

15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the Lord.

16 And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

17 And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the Lord; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

18 And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the Lord: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

19 And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

20 And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us?

21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.