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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. 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. 19 But no priests[a] were there to lead the celebration[b] when the men of Beth Shemesh saw the Lord’s Holy Box. So the Lord killed 70 men[c] from Beth Shemesh. The people of Beth Shemesh cried loudly because of this hard punishment.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 6:19 no priests Only priests were allowed to carry the Box of the Agreement.
  2. 1 Samuel 6:19 But no … celebration This is based on the ancient Greek version and Josephus.
  3. 1 Samuel 6:19 This is found in a few Hebrew copies. Most Hebrew copies and the ancient versions have “70 men, 50,000 men.”

17 These are the gold tumors the Philistines sent as a guilt offering to the Lord—one each(A) 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 the Lord is a witness to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh.

19 But God struck down(B) some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy[a] of them to death because they looked(C) into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 6:19 A few Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint 50,070