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."

1 耶和华的约柜在非利士人的地方有七个月之久。

2 非利士人把众祭司和占卜的都召了来， 问他们： "我们应该怎样处理耶和华的约柜呢？请告诉我们， 要怎样才能把它送回原处呢？"

3 他们回答： "你们把以色列 神的约柜送回去的时候， 不可空空地把它送回去， 却要偿还赔罪的礼物， 这样， 你们就可以得着医治， 也可以知道， 为什么他的手没有离开你们。"

4 非利士人问： "我们应当偿给他什么作赔罪的礼物呢？"他们回答： "要按照非利士人各城首领的数目， 用五个金痔疮和五只金老鼠作赔罪的礼物， 因为你们所有的人和你们各城的首领所遭遇的， 都是一样的灾祸。

5 所以你们要做痔疮的像和毁坏田地的老鼠的像， 还要把荣耀归给以色列的 神。也许他会向你们、你们的神和你们的田地手下留情。

6 你们为什么要硬着心， 像以前埃及人和法老那样呢？ 神严严地对付他们以后， 他们不是放走了以色列人， 以色列人不是真的离开了吗？

7 现在你们要预备一辆新车和两头仍在乳养小牛、未曾负过轭的母牛， 把它们紧紧套在车上， 把小牛从它们身边带回棚里去。

8 你们要把耶和华的约柜搬来， 放在车上， 把那些偿给他作赔罪礼物的金器放在盒子里， 放置在约柜旁边， 然后把它送上路， 让它自己走。

9 你们要留意看， 如果它是走向自己的境界， 往伯．示麦去， 那么就是耶和华降这大灾给我们； 如果不是这样， 我们就知道， 不是他的手攻击我们， 我们遭遇的不过是偶然的事。"

10 非利士人就照着去行。他们牵来两头还在乳养小牛的母牛， 把它们紧紧套在车上， 把小牛关在棚里。

11 他们又把耶和华的约柜， 装金老鼠和痔疮像的盒子， 都放在车上。

12 牛向着伯．示麦的路上直奔， 如同走在一条大路上， 一面走一面叫， 不偏左也不偏右。非利士各城的首领在后面跟着走， 直到伯．示麦的边界。

13 那时， 伯．示麦人正在谷中收割麦子， 他们举目观看， 看见了约柜， 就欢欢喜喜迎见约柜。

14 牛车到了伯．示麦人约书亚的田间， 就停在那里； 那里有一块大石， 他们把做那车的木料劈开， 又把那两只母牛作燔祭献给耶和华。

15 利未人把耶和华的约柜， 与它一同送来装有金器的盒子， 都搬了下来， 放在大石上； 那一天， 伯．示麦人向耶和华献上燔祭， 又献上其他的祭。

16 非利士人的五个首领看见了， 当天就回以革伦去。

17 这些金痔疮， 就是非利士人偿给耶和华作赔罪的礼物的， 一个是为亚实突， 一个是为迦萨， 一个是为亚实基伦， 一个是为迦特， 一个是为以革伦。

18 金老鼠的数目是按照非利士人五个首领所有的城市的数目， 包括设防城和乡村。他们安放耶和华约柜的那块大石， 直到现在还是在伯．示麦人约书亚的田间， 是一个证物。

19 耶和华因为伯．示麦人偷窥他的约柜， 就击杀他们； 他击杀了七十人（"七十人"大多数抄本都作"五万零七十人"， 少数抄本作"七十人"）。众人因为耶和华用大灾击杀他们， 就哀哭起来。

20 伯．示麦人说： "在耶和华这位圣洁的 神面前， 谁能站立得住呢？他可以从我们这里上到哪里去呢？"

21 于是他们派遣使者到基列．耶琳的居民那里去， 对他们说： "非利士人把耶和华的约柜送回来了。你们下来把它接到你们那里去吧。"