The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the VOICE. Switch to the VOICE to read along with the audio.
The Ark in Philistine Hands
5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer(A) to Ashdod,(B) 2 brought it into the temple of Dagon[a](C) and placed it next to his statue.[b] 3 When the people of Ashdod got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord.(D) So they took Dagon and returned him to his place. 4 But when they got up early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen with his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. This time, both Dagon’s head and the palms of his hands were broken off and lying on the threshold. Only Dagon’s torso remained.[c] 5 That is why, to this day, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon’s threshold.
6 The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod,(E) terrorizing(F) and afflicting the people of Ashdod and its territory with tumors.[d][e](G) 7 When the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because His hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.” 8 So they called all the Philistine rulers together(H) and asked, “What should we do with the ark of Israel’s God?”
“The ark of Israel’s God should be moved to Gath,” they replied. So the men of Ashdod moved the ark. 9 After they had moved it, the Lord’s hand was against the city of Gath,(I) causing a great panic. He afflicted the men of the city, from the youngest to the oldest, with an outbreak of tumors.(J)
10 The Gittites then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it got there, the Ekronites cried out, “They’ve moved the ark of Israel’s God to us to kill us and our people!”[f]
11 The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together.(K) They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. It must return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people!”[g] For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them.(L) 12 The men who did not die were afflicted with tumors, and the outcry of the city went up to heaven.(M)
The Return of the Ark
6 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land of the Philistines for seven months, 2 the Philistines summoned the priests and the diviners(N) and pleaded, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we can send it back to its place.”
3 They replied, “If you send the ark of Israel’s God away, you must not send it without an offering.(O) You must send back a restitution offering to Him,(P) and you will be healed. Then the reason His hand hasn’t been removed from you will be revealed.”[h]
4 They asked, “What restitution offering should we send back to Him?”
And they answered, “Five gold tumors and five gold mice(Q) corresponding to the number of Philistine rulers,(R) since there was one plague for both you[i] and your rulers. 5 Make images of your tumors and of your mice that are destroying the land. Give glory to Israel’s God,(S) and perhaps He will stop oppressing you,[j](T) your gods, and your land.(U) 6 Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs?(V) When He afflicted them, didn’t they send Israel away, and Israel left?(W)
7 “Now then, prepare one new cart and two milk cows that have never been yoked.(X) Hitch the cows to the cart, but take their calves away and pen them up. 8 Take the ark of the Lord, place it on the cart, and put the gold objects that you’re sending Him as a restitution offering in a box(Y) beside the ark.(Z) Send it off and let it go its way. 9 Then watch: If it goes up the road to its homeland toward Beth-shemesh,(AA) it is the Lord who has made this terrible trouble for us. However, if it doesn’t, we will know that it was not His hand that punished(AB) us—it was just something that happened to us by chance.”
10 The men did this: They took two milk cows, hitched them to the cart, and confined their calves in the pen. 11 Then they put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the box containing the gold mice and the images of their tumors. 12 The cows went straight up the road to Beth-shemesh.(AC) They stayed on that one highway,(AD) lowing as they went; they never strayed to the right or to the left. The Philistine rulers were walking behind them to the territory of Beth-shemesh.
13 The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed to see it. 14 The cart came to the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. The people of the city chopped up the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord.(AE) 15 The Levites(AF) removed the ark of the Lord, along with the box containing the gold objects, and placed them on the large rock. That day the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 16 When the five Philistine rulers(AG) observed this, they returned to Ekron that same day.
17 As a restitution offering to the Lord, the Philistines had sent back one gold tumor for each city:(AH) Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 18 The number of gold mice also corresponded to the number of Philistine cities of the five rulers, the fortified cities and the outlying villages.(AI) The large rock[k](AJ) on which the ark of the Lord was placed is in the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh to this day.
19 God struck down the men of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the Lord.[l](AK) He struck down 70 men out of 50,000 men.[m] The people mourned because the Lord struck them with a great slaughter. 20 The men of Beth-shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand in the presence of this holy Lord God?(AL) Who should the ark go to from here?”
21 They sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath-jearim,(AM) saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down and get it.”[n]
7 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill.(AN) They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.
Victory at Mizpah
2 Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord. 3 Samuel told them, “If you(AO) are returning to the Lord(AP) with all your heart,(AQ) get rid of the foreign gods(AR) and the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to[o] the Lord, and worship only Him.(AS) Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths(AT) and only worshiped the Lord.
5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah,(AU) and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”(AV) 6 When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence.(AW) They fasted that day,(AX) and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.”(AY) And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 Then Samuel took a young lamb(AZ) and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.(BA) 10 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly(BB) against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.(BC) 11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.
12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright(BD) between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,[p] explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued(BE) and[q] did not invade Israel’s territory again.(BF) The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. 14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.(BG) 16 Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations. 17 Then he would return to Ramah(BH) because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the Lord there.
The Fourth Sign: Feeding 5,000
6 After(A) this, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee(B) (or Tiberias(C)). 2 And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick. 3 So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples.
4 Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. 5 Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him,(D) He asked Philip,(E) “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” 6 He asked this to test him,(F) for He Himself knew what He was going to do.
7 Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii(G) worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew,(H) Simon(I) Peter’s(J) brother, said to Him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish—but what are they for so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.”
There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000.(K) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated—so also with the fish, as much as they wanted.(L)
12 When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.”(M) 13 So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign[a] He had done, they said, “This really is the Prophet(N) who was to come(O) into the world!”(P) 15 Therefore, when Jesus knew that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king,(Q) He withdrew again[b] to the mountain by Himself.
The Fifth Sign: Walking on Water
16 When(R) evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum.(S) Darkness had already set in, but Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 Then a high wind arose, and the sea began to churn. 19 After they had rowed about three or four miles,[c] they saw Jesus walking on the sea. He was coming near the boat, and they were afraid.
20 But He said to them, “It is I.[d](T) Don’t be afraid!” 21 Then they were willing to take Him on board, and at once the boat was at the shore where they were heading.
13 They soon forgot His works
and would not wait for His counsel.(A)
14 They were seized with craving in the wilderness
and tested God in the desert.(B)
15 He gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.(C)
16 In the camp they were envious of Moses
and of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one.(D)
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it covered the assembly of Abiram.(E)
18 Fire blazed throughout their assembly;
flames consumed the wicked.(F)
19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped the cast metal image.(G)
20 They exchanged their glory[a][b]
for the image of a grass-eating ox.(H)
21 They forgot God their Savior,
who did great things in Egypt,(I)
22 wonderful works in the land of Ham,[c]
awe-inspiring acts at the Red Sea.(J)
23 So He said He would have destroyed them—
if Moses His chosen one
had not stood before Him in the breach
to turn His wrath away from destroying them.(K)
24 They despised the pleasant land
and did not believe His promise.(L)
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not listen to the Lord’s voice.(M)
26 So He raised His hand against them with an oath
that He would make them fall in the desert(N)
27 and would disperse their descendants[d]
among the nations,
scattering them throughout the lands.(O)
28 They aligned themselves with Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods.[e](P)
29 They provoked the Lord with their deeds,
and a plague broke out against them.(Q)
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was stopped.(R)
31 It was credited to him as righteousness
throughout all generations to come.(S)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.