1 Samuel 6 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible
World English Bible
1 Samuel 6 (WEBP)
[1] Yahweh’s ark was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
[2] The Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with Yahweh’s ark? Show us how we should send it to its place.”
[3] They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, don’t send it empty; but by all means return a trespass offering to him. 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 should the trespass offering be which we shall return to him?” They said, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, for the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
[5] Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your mice that mar the land; and you shall give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his hand from you, from your gods, and from your land.
[6] Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had worked wonderfully among them, didn’t they let the people go, and they departed?
[7] “Now therefore take and prepare yourselves a new cart and two milk cows on which there has come no yoke; and tie the cows to the cart, and bring their calves home from them;
[8] and take Yahweh’s ark and lay it on the cart. Put the jewels of gold, which you return him for a trespass offering, in a box by its side; and send it away, that it may go.
[9] Behold, if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”
[10] The men did so, and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.
[11] They put Yahweh’s ark on the cart, and the box with the golden mice and the images of their tumors.
[12] The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
[13] The people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
[14] The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there, where there was a great stone. Then they split the wood of the cart and offered up the cows for a burnt offering to Yahweh.
[15] The Levites took down Yahweh’s ark and the box that was with it, in which the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day to Yahweh.
[16] When the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
[17] These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering to Yahweh: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon 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 fortified cities and of country villages, even to the great stone on which they set down Yahweh’s ark. That stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.
[19] He struck of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into Yahweh’s ark, he struck fifty thousand seventy of the men. Then the people mourned, because Yahweh had struck the people with a great slaughter.
[20] The men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before Yahweh, this holy God? To whom shall he go up from us?”
[21] They sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back Yahweh’s ark. Come down and bring it up to yourselves.”
Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.
King James w/Strong’s #s
1 Samuel 6 (KJVS)
[1] And the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 was in the country H7704 of the Philistines H6430 seven H7651 months H2320.
[2] And the Philistines H6430 called H7121 (8799) for the priests H3548 and the diviners H7080 (8802), saying H559 (8800), What shall we do H6213 (8799) to the ark H727 of the LORD H3068? tell H3045 (8685) us wherewith we shall send H7971 (8762) it to his place H4725.
[3] And they said H559 (8799), If ye send away H7971 (8764) the ark H727 of the God H430 of Israel H3478, send H7971 (8762) it not empty H7387; but in any wise H7725 (8687) return H7725 (8686) him a trespass offering H817: then ye shall be healed H7495 (8735), and it shall be known H3045 (8738) to you why his hand H3027 is not removed H5493 (8799) from you.
[4] Then said H559 (8799) they, What [shall be] the trespass offering H817 which we shall return H7725 (8686) to him? They answered H559 (8799), Five H2568 golden H2091 emerods H2914 (8675) H6076, and five H2568 golden H2091 mice H5909, [according to] the number H4557 of the lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430: for one H259 plague H4046 [was] on you all, and on your lords H5633.
[5] Wherefore ye shall make H6213 (8804) images H6754 of your emerods H2914 (8675) H6076, and images H6754 of your mice H5909 that mar H7843 (8688) the land H776; and ye shall give H5414 (8804) glory H3519 unto the God H430 of Israel H3478: peradventure he will lighten H7043 (8686) his hand H3027 from off you, and from off your gods H430, and from off your land H776.
[6] Wherefore then do ye harden H3513 (8762) your hearts H3824, as the Egyptians H4714 and Pharaoh H6547 hardened H3513 (8765) their hearts H3820? when he had wrought wonderfully H5953 (8694) among them, did they not let the people go H7971 (8762), and they departed H3212 (8799)?
[7] Now therefore make H6213 (8798) a H259 new H2319 cart H5699, and take H3947 (8798) two H8147 milch H5763 (8802) kine H6510, on which there hath come H5927 (8804) no yoke H5923, and tie H631 (8804) the kine H6510 to the cart H5699, and bring H7725 (8689) their calves H1121 home H1004 from them H310:
[8] And take H3947 (8804) the ark H727 of the LORD H3068, and lay H5414 (8804) it upon the cart H5699; and put H7760 (8799) the jewels H3627 of gold H2091, which ye return H7725 (8689) him [for] a trespass offering H817, in a coffer H712 by the side H6654 thereof; and send it away H7971 (8765), that it may go H1980 (8804).
[9] And see H7200 (8804), if it goeth up H5927 (8799) by the way H1870 of his own coast H1366 to Bethshemesh H1053, [then] he hath done H6213 (8804) us this great H1419 evil H7451: but if not, then we shall know H3045 (8804) that [it is] not his hand H3027 [that] smote H5060 (8804) us: it [was] a chance H4745 [that] happened to us H1961 (8804).
[10] And the men H582 did so H6213 (8799); and took H3947 (8799) two H8147 milch H5763 (8802) kine H6510, and tied H631 (8799) them to the cart H5699, and shut up H3607 (8804) their calves H1121 at home H1004:
[11] And they laid H7760 (8799) the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 upon the cart H5699, and the coffer H712 with the mice H5909 of gold H2091 and the images H6754 of their emerods H2914.
[12] And the kine H6510 took the straight H3474 (8799) way H1870 to the way H1870 of Bethshemesh H1053, [and] went along H1980 (8804) the highway H4546 H259, lowing H1600 (8800) as they went H1980 (8800), and turned not aside H5493 (8804) [to] the right hand H3225 or [to] the left H8040; and the lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 went H1980 (8802) after H310 them unto the border H1366 of Bethshemesh H1053.
[13] And [they of] Bethshemesh H1053 [were] reaping H7114 (8802) their wheat H2406 harvest H7105 in the valley H6010: and they lifted up H5375 (8799) their eyes H5869, and saw H7200 (8799) the ark H727, and rejoiced H8055 (8799) to see H7200 (8800) [it].
[14] And the cart H5699 came H935 (8802) into the field H7704 of Joshua H3091, a Bethshemite H1030, and stood H5975 (8799) there, where [there was] a great H1419 stone H68: and they clave H1234 (8762) the wood H6086 of the cart H5699, and offered H5927 (8689) the kine H6510 a burnt offering H5930 unto the LORD H3068.
[15] And the Levites H3881 took down H3381 (8689) the ark H727 of the LORD H3068, and the coffer H712 that [was] with it, wherein the jewels H3627 of gold H2091 [were], and put H7760 (8799) [them] on the great H1419 stone H68: and the men H582 of Bethshemesh H1053 offered H5927 (8689) burnt offerings H5930 and sacrificed H2076 (8799) sacrifices H2077 the same day H3117 unto the LORD H3068.
[16] And when the five H2568 lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 had seen H7200 (8804) [it], they returned H7725 (8799) to Ekron H6138 the same day H3117.
[17] And these [are] the golden H2091 emerods H2914 which the Philistines H6430 returned H7725 (8689) [for] a trespass offering H817 unto the LORD H3068; for Ashdod H795 one H259, for Gaza H5804 one H259, for Askelon H831 one H259, for Gath H1661 one H259, for Ekron H6138 one H259;
[18] And the golden H2091 mice H5909, [according to] the number H4557 of all the cities H5892 of the Philistines H6430 [belonging] to the five H2568 lords H5633, [both] of fenced H4013 cities H5892, and of country H6521 villages H3724, even unto the great H1419 [stone of] Abel H59, whereon they set down H3240 (8689) the ark H727 of the LORD H3068: [which stone remaineth] unto this day H3117 in the field H7704 of Joshua H3091, the Bethshemite H1030.
[19] And he smote H5221 (8686) the men H376 of Bethshemesh H1053, because they had looked H7200 (8804) into the ark H727 of the LORD H3068, even he smote H5221 (8686) of the people H5971 fifty H2572 thousand H505 and threescore and ten H7657 men H582: and the people H5971 lamented H56 (8691), because the LORD H3068 had smitten H5221 (8689) [many] of the people H5971 with a great H1419 slaughter H4347.
[20] And the men H582 of Bethshemesh H1053 said H559 (8799), Who is able H3201 (8799) to stand H5975 (8800) before H6440 this holy H6918 LORD H3068 God H430? and to whom shall he go up H5927 (8799) from us?
[21] And they sent H7971 (8799) messengers H4397 to the inhabitants H3427 (8802) of Kirjathjearim H7157, saying H559 (8800), The Philistines H6430 have brought again H7725 (8689) the ark H727 of the LORD H3068; come ye down H3381 (8798), [and] fetch it up H5927 (8685) to you.
Young’s Literal Translation
1 Samuel 6 (YLT)
[1] And the ark of Jehovah is in the field of the Philistines seven months,
[2] and the Philistines call for priests and for diviners, saying, ‘What do we do to the ark of Jehovah? let us know wherewith we send it to its place?’
[3] And they say, ‘If ye are sending away the ark of the God of Israel, ye do not send it away empty; for ye do certainly send back to Him a guilt-offering; then ye are healed, and it hath been known to you why His hand doth not turn aside from you.’
[4] And they say, ‘What is the guilt-offering which we send back to Him?’ and they say, ‘The number of the princes of the Philistines-five golden emerods, and five golden mice-for one plague is to you all, and to your princes,
[5] and ye have made images of your emerods, and images of your mice that are corrupting the land, and have given honour to the God of Israel; it may be He doth lighten His hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land;
[6] and why do ye harden your heart as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their heart? do they not-when He hath rolled Himself upon them-send them away, and they go?
[7] ‘And now, take and make one new cart, and two suckling kine, on which a yoke hath not gone up, and ye have bound the kine in the cart, and caused their young ones to turn back from after them to the house,
[8] and ye have taken the ark of Jehovah, and put it on the cart, and the vessels of gold which ye have returned to Him-a guilt-offering-ye put in a coffer on its side, and have sent it away, and it hath gone;
[9] and ye have seen, if the way of its own border it goeth up to Beth-Shemesh-He hath done to us this great evil; and if not, then we have known that His hand hath not come against us; an accident it hath been to us.’
[10] And the men do so, and take two suckling kine, and bind them in the cart, and their young ones they have shut up in the house;
[11] and they place the ark of Jehovah upon the cart, and the coffer, and the golden mice, and the images of their emerods.
[12] And the kine go straight in the way, on the way to Beth-Shemesh, in one highway they have gone, going and lowing, and have not turned aside right or left; and the princes of the Philistines are going after them unto the border of Beth-Shemesh.
[13] And the Beth-Shemeshites are reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley, and they lift up their eyes, and see the ark, and rejoice to see it.
[14] And the cart hath come in unto the field of Joshua the Beth-Shemeshite, and standeth there, and there is a great stone, and they cleave the wood of the cart, and the kine they have caused to ascend-a burnt-offering to Jehovah.
[15] And the Levites have taken down the ark of Jehovah, and the coffer which is with it, in which are the vessels of gold, and place them on the great stone; and the men of Beth-Shemesh have caused to ascend burnt-offerings and sacrifice sacrifices in that day to Jehovah;
[16] and the five princes of the Philistines have seen it, and turn back to Ekron, on that day.
[17] And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines have sent back-a guilt-offering to Jehovah: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
[18] and the golden mice-the number of all the cities of the Philistines-for the five princes, from the fenced city even unto the hamlet of the villages, even unto the great meadow on which they placed the ark of Jehovah-are unto this day in the field of Joshua the Beth-Shemeshite.
[19] And He smiteth among the men of Beth-Shemesh, for they looked into the ark of Jehovah, yea, He smiteth among the people seventy men-fifty chief men; and the people mourn, because Jehovah smote among the people-a great smiting.
[20] And the men of Beth-Shemesh say, ‘Who is able to stand before Jehovah, this holy God? and unto whom doth He go up from us?’
[21] And they send messengers unto the inhabitants of Kirjath-Jearim, saying, ‘The Philistines have sent back the ark of Jehovah; come down, take it up unto you.’