1 The|strong="H3068" Philistines|strong="H6430" kept the|strong="H3068" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy Box in|strong="H3068" their|strong="H3068" land|strong="H7704" for|strong="H3068" seven|strong="H7651" months|strong="H2320".
2 The|strong="H0559" Philistines|strong="H6430" called|strong="H7121" their|strong="H3068" priests|strong="H3548" and|strong="H3068" magicians and|strong="H3068" said|strong="H0559", “What|strong="H4100" must we|strong="H6213" do|strong="H6213" with|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0559" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Box? Tell|strong="H0559" us|strong="H3045" how|strong="H4100" to|strong="H0559" send|strong="H7971" it|strong="H7121" back|strong="H3045" home|strong="H4725".”
3 The|strong="H0853" priests|strong="H3808" and|strong="H3478" magicians answered|strong="H0559", “If|strong="H0518" you|strong="H3588" send|strong="H7971" back|strong="H7725" the|strong="H0853" Holy Box of|strong="H0430" the|strong="H0853" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0430" Israel|strong="H3478", don’t|strong="H0408" send|strong="H7971" it|strong="H0518" away|strong="H5493" empty|strong="H7387". You|strong="H3588" must|strong="H0853" offer gifts|strong="H7725" to|strong="H0559" the|strong="H0853" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0430" Israel|strong="H3478". Then|strong="H0227" you|strong="H3588" will|strong="H0430" be|strong="H3808" healed|strong="H7495". You|strong="H3588" must|strong="H0853" do|strong="H0408" this|strong="H3588" so|strong="H4480" that|strong="H3588" God|strong="H0430" will|strong="H0430" stop|strong="H5493" punishing|strong="H7725" you|strong="H3588".”
4 The|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" asked|strong="H0559", “What|strong="H4100" kind of|strong="H4557" gifts|strong="H7725" should|strong="H4100" we|strong="H3588" send for|strong="H3588" Israel’s God|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0559" forgive us|strong="H7725"?”
5 So|strong="H6213" make|strong="H5414" models of|strong="H0776" the|strong="H0853" tumors and|strong="H3478" models of|strong="H0776" the|strong="H0853" mice|strong="H5909" that|strong="H3478" are|strong="H3478" ruining the|strong="H0853" country|strong="H0776". Give|strong="H5414" these gold models to|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0853" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0776" Israel|strong="H3478" as|strong="H0776" payment. Then|strong="H0853" maybe|strong="H0194" the|strong="H0853" God|strong="H0430" of|strong="H0776" Israel|strong="H3478" will|strong="H0430" stop punishing you|strong="H5414", your|strong="H5414" gods|strong="H0430", and|strong="H3478" your|strong="H5414" land|strong="H0776".
6 Don’t|strong="H3808" be|strong="H3808" stubborn like|strong="H0834" Pharaoh|strong="H6547" and|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" Egyptians|strong="H4713". God|strong="H3808" punished the|strong="H0853" Egyptians|strong="H4713". That|strong="H0834" is|strong="H0834" why|strong="H4100" the|strong="H0853" Egyptians|strong="H4713" let|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" Israelites leave Egypt|strong="H4713".
7 “You|strong="H0834" must|strong="H0853" build a|strong="H3947" new|strong="H2319" wagon|strong="H5699" and|strong="H1121" get|strong="H3947" two|strong="H8147" cows|strong="H6510" that|strong="H0834" have|strong="H0834" just|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" calves|strong="H1121". These|strong="H0834" must|strong="H0853" be|strong="H3808" cows|strong="H6510" that|strong="H0834" have|strong="H0834" never|strong="H3808" worked|strong="H5927" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0853" fields. Tie|strong="H0631" the|strong="H0853" cows|strong="H6510" to|strong="H7725" the|strong="H0853" wagon|strong="H5699" so|strong="H6213" that|strong="H0834" they|strong="H0834" can|strong="H0834" pull it|strong="H5921". Then|strong="H6258" take|strong="H3947" the|strong="H0853" calves|strong="H1121" back|strong="H7725" home|strong="H1004" and|strong="H1121" put|strong="H7725" them|strong="H0853" in|strong="H5921" their|strong="H3947" pen. Don’t|strong="H3808" let|strong="H6258" them|strong="H0853" follow|strong="H0310" their|strong="H3947" mothers.
8 Put|strong="H5414" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy Box|strong="H0712" on|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" wagon|strong="H5699". You|strong="H0834" must|strong="H0853" put|strong="H5414" the|strong="H0853" golden|strong="H2091" models in|strong="H1980" the|strong="H0853" bag|strong="H3627" beside|strong="H6654" the|strong="H0853" Box|strong="H0712". They|strong="H0834" are|strong="H0834" your|strong="H3068" gifts|strong="H7725" for|strong="H0413" God|strong="H3068" to|strong="H0413" forgive your|strong="H3068" sins. Send|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" wagon|strong="H5699" straight on|strong="H0413" its|strong="H5414" way|strong="H1980".
9 Watch|strong="H7200" the|strong="H0853" wagon. If|strong="H0518" the|strong="H0853" wagon goes|strong="H5927" toward|strong="H1870" Beth Shemesh in|strong="H1870" Israel’s own|strong="H1961" land|strong="H1366", then|strong="H1961" it|strong="H1931" is|strong="H1931" their|strong="H3588" God|strong="H3808" who|strong="H1931" has|strong="H1961" given|strong="H3027" us|strong="H3045" this|strong="H2063" great|strong="H1419" sickness. But|strong="H3588" if|strong="H0518" the|strong="H0853" cows don’t|strong="H3808" go|strong="H5927" straight to|strong="H1961" Beth Shemesh, we|strong="H3588" will|strong="H1961" know|strong="H3045" it|strong="H1931" was|strong="H1961" not|strong="H3808" their|strong="H3588" God|strong="H3808" who|strong="H1931" brought|strong="H5927" this|strong="H2063" sickness to|strong="H1961" us|strong="H3045". It|strong="H1931" was|strong="H1961" just|strong="H6213" one|strong="H3808" of|strong="H3027" those|strong="H0853" things|strong="H1419" that|strong="H3588" sometimes happen|strong="H1961".”
10 The|strong="H0853" Philistines did|strong="H6213" what|strong="H6213" the|strong="H0853" priests and|strong="H1121" magicians said|strong="H3651". They|strong="H3651" found two|strong="H8147" cows|strong="H6510" that|strong="H3651" had|strong="H0376" just|strong="H6213" had|strong="H0376" calves|strong="H1121" and|strong="H1121" tied|strong="H0631" them|strong="H0853" to|strong="H0376" the|strong="H0853" wagon|strong="H5699". But|strong="H0376" they|strong="H3651" kept|strong="H6213" the|strong="H0853" calves|strong="H1121" at|strong="H1004" home|strong="H1004" in|strong="H1004" a|strong="H3947" pen.
11 Then|strong="H0853" the|strong="H0853" Philistines put|strong="H7760" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy Box|strong="H0712" on|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" wagon|strong="H5699" along|strong="H0853" with|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" bag with|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" golden|strong="H2091" models of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0853" tumors|strong="H2914" and|strong="H3068" mice|strong="H5909".
12 The|strong="H5921" cows|strong="H6510" went|strong="H1980" straight|strong="H3474" to|strong="H5704" Beth Shemesh. The|strong="H5921" cows|strong="H6510" stayed on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" road|strong="H1870", mooing all|strong="H5704" the|strong="H5921" way|strong="H1870". They|strong="H5921" did|strong="H3808" not|strong="H3808" turn|strong="H5493" right|strong="H3225" or|strong="H3808" left|strong="H8040". The|strong="H5921" Philistine|strong="H6430" rulers followed|strong="H0310" the|strong="H5921" cows|strong="H6510" as|strong="H5704" far|strong="H5704" as|strong="H5704" the|strong="H5921" city limits of|strong="H1366" Beth Shemesh.
13 The|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5869" of|strong="H5869" Beth Shemesh were|strong="H5869" harvesting their|strong="H5375" wheat|strong="H2406" in|strong="H8055" the|strong="H0853" valley|strong="H6010". They|strong="H5375" looked|strong="H7200" up|strong="H5375" and|strong="H5869" saw|strong="H7200" the|strong="H0853" Holy Box. They|strong="H5375" were|strong="H5869" very|strong="H8055" happy|strong="H8055" to|strong="H7200" see|strong="H7200" it|strong="H7200" again. They|strong="H5375" ran to|strong="H7200" get it|strong="H7200".
16 The|strong="H7200" five|strong="H2568" Philistine|strong="H6430" rulers watched|strong="H7200" the|strong="H7200" people|strong="H7200" of|strong="H3117" Beth Shemesh do this|strong="H1931" and|strong="H7725" then|strong="H7725" went|strong="H7725" back|strong="H7725" to|strong="H7725" Ekron|strong="H6138" that|strong="H3117" same|strong="H1931" day|strong="H3117".
17 In|strong="H3068" this|strong="H0428" way the|strong="H0834" Philistines|strong="H6430" sent|strong="H7725" golden|strong="H2091" models of|strong="H3068" tumors|strong="H2914" as|strong="H0834" gifts|strong="H7725" for|strong="H0259" their|strong="H3068" sins to|strong="H7725" the|strong="H0834" LORD|strong="H3068". They|strong="H0834" sent|strong="H7725" one|strong="H0259" golden|strong="H2091" model of|strong="H3068" a|strong="H0834" tumor for|strong="H0259" each|strong="H0259" of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0834" Philistine|strong="H6430" towns of|strong="H3068" Ashdod|strong="H0795", Gaza|strong="H5804", Ashkelon|strong="H0831", Gath|strong="H1661", and|strong="H3068" Ekron|strong="H6138".
18 The|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" also|strong="H3068" sent golden|strong="H2091" models of|strong="H3068" mice|strong="H5909". The|strong="H3605" number|strong="H4557" of|strong="H3068" these|strong="H2088" golden|strong="H2091" mice|strong="H5909" was|strong="H0834" the|strong="H3605" same|strong="H2088" number|strong="H4557" as|strong="H0834" the|strong="H3605" towns|strong="H5892" that|strong="H0834" belonged to|strong="H5704" the|strong="H3605" five|strong="H2568" Philistine|strong="H6430" rulers. These|strong="H2088" towns|strong="H5892" had|strong="H3068" walls around|strong="H5921" them|strong="H0853", and|strong="H3068" each|strong="H3605" town|strong="H5892" had|strong="H3068" villages|strong="H3724" around|strong="H5921" it|strong="H5921".
19 But|strong="H3588" no priests were|strong="H0376" there|strong="H3068" to|strong="H3068" lead the|strong="H3588" celebration when|strong="H3588" the|strong="H3588" men|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" Beth Shemesh saw|strong="H7200" the|strong="H3588" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy Box. So|strong="H3588" the|strong="H3588" LORD|strong="H3068" killed|strong="H5221" 70 men|strong="H0376" from|strong="H0376" Beth Shemesh. The|strong="H3588" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H0376" Beth Shemesh cried loudly|strong="H1419" because|strong="H3588" of|strong="H0376" this|strong="H3588" hard|strong="H1419" punishment.
20 They|strong="H5921" said|strong="H0559", “Where|strong="H2088" is|strong="H3068" a|strong="H2088" priest who|strong="H4310" can|strong="H4310" care|strong="H5921" for|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0559" Holy|strong="H6918" Box? Where|strong="H2088" should|strong="H0376" the|strong="H0559" Box go|strong="H5927" from|strong="H5921" here|strong="H2088"?”
21 There|strong="H5927" was|strong="H3068" a|strong="H7971" priest at|strong="H0413" Kiriath|strong="H7157" Jearim. The|strong="H0853" people|strong="H3427" of|strong="H3068" Beth Shemesh sent|strong="H7971" messengers|strong="H4397" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H3427" of|strong="H3068" Kiriath|strong="H7157" Jearim. The|strong="H0853" messengers|strong="H4397" said|strong="H0559", “The|strong="H0853" Philistines|strong="H6430" have|strong="H3068" brought|strong="H5927" back|strong="H7725" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy Box. Come|strong="H5927" down|strong="H3381" and|strong="H3068" take|strong="H7725" it|strong="H7725" to|strong="H0413" your|strong="H3068" city.”