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1. The Philistines kept the Holy Box in their land for seven months.
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1. And the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 was H1961 in the country H7704 of the Philistines H6430 seven H7651 months H2320 .
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2. The Philistines called their priests and magicians and said, "What must we do with the Lord's Box? Tell us how to send the Box back home."
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2. And the Philistines H6430 called H7121 for the priests H3548 and the diviners H7080 , saying H559 , What H4100 shall we do H6213 to the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 ? tell H3045 us wherewith H4100 we shall send H7971 it to his place H4725 .
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3. The priests and magicians answered, "If you send back the Holy Box of the God of Israel, don't send it away empty. You must offer gifts to the God of Israel. Then you will be healed. You must do this so that God will stop punishing you."
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3. And they said H559 , If H518 ye send away H7971 H853 the ark H727 of the God H430 of Israel H3478 , send H7971 it not H408 empty H7387 ; but H3588 in any wise return H7725 H7725 him a trespass offering H817 : then H227 ye shall be healed H7495 , and it shall be known H3045 to you why H4100 his hand H3027 is not H3808 removed H5493 from H4480 you.
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4. The Philistines asked, "What kind of gifts should we send for Israel's God to forgive us?" The priests and magicians answered, "There are five Philistine leaders, one leader for each city. All of you and your leaders had the same problems. So you must make five gold models to look like five tumors. And you must make five gold models to look like five mice.
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4. Then said H559 they, What H4100 shall be the trespass offering H817 which H834 we shall return H7725 to him? They answered H559 , Five H2568 golden H2091 emerods H6076 , and five H2568 golden H2091 mice H5909 , according to the number H4557 of the lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 : for H3588 one H259 plague H4046 was on you all H3605 , and on your lords H5633 .
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5. So make models of the tumors and models of the mice that are ruining the country. Give these gold models to the God of Israel as payment. Then maybe the God of Israel will stop punishing you, your gods, and your land.
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5. Wherefore ye shall make H6213 images H6754 of your emerods H6076 , and images H6754 of your mice H5909 that mar H7843 H853 the land H776 ; and ye shall give H5414 glory H3519 unto the God H430 of Israel H3478 : peradventure H194 he will lighten H7043 H853 his hand H3027 from off H4480 H5921 you , and from off H4480 H5921 your gods H430 , and from off H4480 H5921 your land H776 .
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6. Don't be stubborn like Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God punished the Egyptians. That is why the Egyptians let the Israelites leave Egypt.
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6. Wherefore H4100 then do ye harden H3513 H853 your hearts H3824 , as H834 the Egyptians H4714 and Pharaoh H6547 hardened H3513 H853 their hearts H3820 ? when H834 he had wrought wonderfully H5953 among them , did they not H3808 let the people go H7971 , and they departed H1980 ?
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7. "You must build a new wagon and get two cows that just had calves. These must be cows that have never worked in the fields. Tie the cows to the wagon so that they can pull it. Then take the calves back home and put them in their pen. Don't let them follow their mothers.
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7. Now H6258 therefore make H6213 a H259 new H2319 cart H5699 , and take H3947 two H8147 milch H5763 kine H6510 , on H5921 which H834 there hath come H5927 no H3808 yoke H5923 , and tie H631 H853 the kine H6510 to the cart H5699 , and bring H7725 their calves H1121 home H1004 from H4480 H310 them:
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8. Put the Lord's Holy Box on the wagon. You must put the golden models in the bag beside the Box. They are your gifts for God to forgive your sins. Send the wagon straight on its way.
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8. And take H3947 H853 the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 , and lay H5414 it upon H413 the cart H5699 ; and put H7760 the jewels H3627 of gold H2091 , which H834 ye return H7725 him for a trespass offering H817 , in a coffer H712 by the side H4480 H6654 thereof ; and send it away H7971 H853 , that it may go H1980 .
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9. Watch the wagon. If the wagon goes toward Beth Shemesh in Israel's own land, the Lord has given us this great sickness. But if the cows don't go straight to Beth Shemesh, we will know that Israel's God has not punished us. We will know that our sickness just happened."
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9. And see H7200 , if H518 it goeth up H5927 by the way H1870 of his own coast H1366 to Beth H1053 -shemesh, then he H1931 hath done H6213 us H853 this H2063 great H1419 evil H7451 : but if H518 not H3808 , then we shall know H3045 that H3588 it is not H3808 his hand H3027 that smote H5060 us: it H1931 was a chance H4745 that happened H1961 to us.
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10. The Philistines did what the priests and magicians said. They found two cows that had just had calves and tied the cows to the wagon and put the calves in their pens at home.
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10. And the men H376 did H6213 so H3651 ; and took H3947 two H8147 milch H5763 kine H6510 , and tied H631 them to the cart H5699 , and shut up H3607 their calves H1121 at home H1004 :
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11. Then the Philistines put the Lord's Holy Box on the wagon along with the bag with the golden models of the tumors and mice.
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11. And they laid H7760 H853 the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 upon H413 the cart H5699 , and the coffer H712 with H854 the mice H5909 of gold H2091 and the images H6754 of their emerods H2914 .
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12. The cows went straight to Beth Shemesh. The cows stayed on the road, mooing all the way. They did not turn right or left. The Philistine rulers followed the cows as far as the city limits of Beth Shemesh.
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12. And the kine H6510 took the straight H3474 way H1870 to H5921 the way H1870 of Beth H1053 -shemesh, and went along H1980 the H259 highway H4546 , lowing H1600 as they went H1980 , and turned not aside H5493 H3808 to the right hand H3225 or to the left H8040 ; and the lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 went H1980 after H310 them unto H5704 the border H1366 of Beth H1053 -shemesh.
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13. The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Holy Box. They were very happy to see it again. They ran to get it.
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13. And they of Beth H1053 -shemesh were reaping H7114 their wheat H2406 harvest H7105 in the valley H6010 : and they lifted up H5375 H853 their eyes H5869 , and saw H7200 H853 the ark H727 , and rejoiced H8055 to see H7200 it .
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14. The wagon came to the field that belonged to Joshua of Beth Shemesh and stopped there near a large rock. Some Levites took down the Lord's Holy Box and the bag that had the golden models. The Levites put the Lord's Box and the bag that was with it on the large rock. The people of Beth Shemesh cut up the wagon and killed the cows. That day, they sacrificed the cows as burnt offerings to the Lord.
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14. And the cart H5699 came H935 into H413 the field H7704 of Joshua H3091 , a Beth H1030 -shemite , and stood H5975 there H8033 , where H8033 there was a great H1419 stone H68 : and they cleaved H1234 H853 the wood H6086 of the cart H5699 , and offered H5927 the kine H6510 a burnt offering H5930 unto the LORD H3068 .
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15. And the Levites H3881 took down H3381 H853 the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 , and the coffer H712 that H834 was with H854 it, wherein H834 the jewels H3627 of gold H2091 were , and put H7760 them on H413 the great H1419 stone H68 : and the men H376 of Beth H1053 -shemesh offered H5927 burnt offerings H5930 and sacrificed H2076 sacrifices H2077 the same H1931 day H3117 unto the LORD H3068 .
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16. The five Philistine rulers watched the people of Beth Shemesh do this and then went back to Ekron that same day.
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16. And when the five H2568 lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 had seen H7200 it , they returned H7725 to Ekron H6138 the same H1931 day H3117 .
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17. In this way the Philistines sent golden models of tumors as gifts for their sins to the Lord. They sent one golden model of a tumor for each of the Philistine towns of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.
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17. And these H428 are the golden H2091 emerods H2914 which H834 the Philistines H6430 returned H7725 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 ;
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18. The Philistines also sent golden models of mice. The number of these golden mice was the same number as the towns that belonged to the five Philistine rulers. These towns had walls around them, and each town had villages around it. The people of Beth Shemesh put the Lord's Holy Box on a rock. That rock is still in the field of Joshua from Beth Shemesh.
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18. And the golden H2091 mice H5909 , according to the number H4557 of all H3605 the cities H5892 of the Philistines H6430 belonging to the five H2568 lords H5633 , both of fenced cities H4480 H5892 H4013 , and of H5704 country H6521 villages H3724 , even unto H5704 the great H1419 stone of Abel H59 , whereon H834 H5921 they set down H5117 H853 the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 : which stone remaineth unto H5704 this H2088 day H3117 in the field H7704 of Joshua H3091 , the Beth H1030 -shemite.
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19. But there were no priests there, and the men of Beth Shemesh looked at the Lord's Holy Box. So the Lord killed 70 men from Beth Shemesh. The people of Beth Shemesh cried because the Lord punished them so severely.
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19. And he smote H5221 the men H376 of Beth H1053 -shemesh, because H3588 they had looked H7200 into the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 , even he smote H5221 of the people H5971 fifty H2572 thousand H505 and threescore and ten H7657 men H376 : and the people H5971 lamented H56 , because H3588 the LORD H3068 had smitten H5221 many of the people H5971 with a great H1419 slaughter H4347 .
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20. They said, "Where is a priest who can care for the Holy Box? Where should the Box go from here?"
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20. And the men H376 of Beth H1053 -shemesh said H559 , Who H4310 is able H3201 to stand H5975 before H6440 this H2088 holy H6918 LORD H3068 God H430 ? and to H413 whom H4310 shall he go up H5927 from H4480 H5921 us?
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21. There was a priest at Kiriath Jearim. The people of Beth Shemesh sent messengers to the people of Kiriath Jearim. The messengers said, "The Philistines have brought back the Lord's Holy Box. Come down and take it to your city."
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21. And they sent H7971 messengers H4397 to H413 the inhabitants H3427 of Kirjath H7157 -jearim, saying H559 , The Philistines H6430 have brought again H7725 H853 the ark H727 of the LORD H3068 ; come ye down H3381 , and fetch it up H5927 H853 to H413 you.
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