Stop searching everywhere for answers. Bible Gateway Plus putstrusted insightsright alongside the passage you’re reading. Free 7-day trial.
Log In/Sign Up

#
1 Samuel 6
New International Version

### The Ark Returned to Israel

6 When the ark of theLordhad been in Philistine territory seven months,2 the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners(A)and said, “What shall we do with the ark of theLord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

3 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.”

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(E)of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague(F)has struck both you and your rulers.5 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.6 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?

7 “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.8 Take the ark of theLordand 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,9 but keep watching it. If it goes up to its own territory, toward Beth Shemesh,(N)then theLordhas 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 theLordon 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 theLord.15 The Levites(Q)took down the ark of theLord, 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 theLord.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 theLord—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 theLordis 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 theLord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow theLordhad dealt them.20 And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand(W)in the presence of theLord, 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 theLord. Come down and take it up to your town.”

#### Footnotes

1. 1 Samuel 6:19 A few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint50,070

#### Cross references

1. 1 Samuel 6:2:S Ex 7:11; S Isa 44:25
2. 1 Samuel 6:3:S Ex 22:29; S 34:20
3. 1 Samuel 6:3:S Lev 5:15
4. 1 Samuel 6:3:ver 9
5. 1 Samuel 6:4:S Jos 13:3
6. 1 Samuel 6:4:2Sa 24:25
7. 1 Samuel 6:5:S 1Sa 5:6-11
8. 1 Samuel 6:5:S Jos 7:19; Rev 14:7
9. 1 Samuel 6:6:S Ex 4:21
10. 1 Samuel 6:6:Ex 10:2
11. 1 Samuel 6:6:S Ex 12:33
12. 1 Samuel 6:7:2Sa 6:3; 1Ch 13:7
13. 1 Samuel 6:7:S Nu 19:2
14. 1 Samuel 6:9:S Jos 15:10; 21:16
15. 1 Samuel 6:13:S Ge 30:14; Ru 2:23; 1Sa 12:17
16. 1 Samuel 6:14:1Sa 11:7; 2Sa 24:22; 1Ki 19:21
17. 1 Samuel 6:15:Jos 3:3
18. 1 Samuel 6:15:ver 18
19. 1 Samuel 6:15:Jos 21:16
20. 1 Samuel 6:17:S Jos 13:3
21. 1 Samuel 6:19:2Sa 6:7
22. 1 Samuel 6:19:S Ex 19:21
23. 1 Samuel 6:20:2Sa 6:9; Ps 130:3; Mal 3:2; Rev 6:17
24. 1 Samuel 6:20:S Lev 11:45
25. 1 Samuel 6:21:S Jos 9:17

New International Version(NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 byBiblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

### More on the NIV

- Unleash God's Word!

#### Bible Gateway Recommends

NIV, Biblical Theology Study Bible, Comfort Print: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as It Unfolds throughout Scripture
Retail: $59.99
Our Price: $41.99
Save: $18.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation
Retail: $49.99
Our Price: $34.99
Save: $15.00 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV Application Bible, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Bringing the Ancient Message of the Bible into Your World
Retail: $54.99
Our Price: $35.00
Save: $19.99 (36%)
Buy Now
NIV, Radiant Virtues Bible: A Beautiful Word Collection, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Explore the virtues of faith, hope, and love
Retail: $69.98
Our Price: $48.99
Save: $20.99 (30%)
Buy Now
NIV, The Story, Hardcover, Comfort Print: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People
Retail: $19.98
Our Price: $7.50
Save: $12.48 (62%)
Buy Now
View more titles