then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, we
shall know that it is not his hand hath touched us, but it hath happened
by chance.
6:10. They did therefore in this manner: and taking two kine, that had
sucking calves, they yoked them to the cart, and shut up their calves at
home.
6:11. And they laid the ark of God upon the cart, and the little box
that had in it the golden mice, and the likeness of the emerods.
6:12. And the kine took the straight way, that leadeth to Bethsames, and
they went along the way, lowing as they went: and turned not aside
neither to the right hand nor to the left: and the lords of the
Philistines followed them as far as the borders of Bethsames.
6:13. Now the Bethsamites were reaping wheat in the valley: and lifting
up their eyes, they saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
6:14. And the cart came into the field of Josue, a Bethsamite, and stood
there. And there was a great stone, and they cut in pieces the wood of
the cart, and laid the kine upon it a holocaust to the Lord.
6:15. And the Levites took down the ark of God, and the little box that
was at the side of it, wherein were the vessels of gold, and they put
them upon the great stone. The men also of Bethsames offered holocausts,
and sacrificed victims that day to the Lord.
6:16. And the five princes of the Philistines saw, and they returned to
Accaron the same day.
6:17. And these are the golden emerods, which the Philistines returned
for sin to the Lord: For Azotus one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for
Geth one, for Accaron one:
6:18. And the golden mice, according to the number of the cities of the
Philistines, of the five provinces, from the fenced city to the village
that was without wall, and to the great Abel (the stone) whereon they
set down the ark of the Lord, which was till that day in the field of
Josue the Bethsamite.
6:19. But he slew of the men of Bethsames, because they had seen the ark
of the Lord, and he slew of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand
of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had
smitten the people with a great slaughter.
Seen... And curiously looked into. It is likely this plague reached to
all the neighbouring country, as well as the city of Bethsames.
6:20. And the men of Bethsames said: Who shall be able to stand before
the Lord this holy God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
6:21. And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Cariathiar
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