And the Philistines (A)called for the priests and the diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it to its place.”

So they said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it (B)empty; but by all means return it to Him with (C)a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you.”

Then they said, “What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?”

They answered, (D)“Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of [a]you and on your lords.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 6:4 Lit. them

the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners(A) and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the Lord? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”

They answered, “If you return the ark of the god of Israel, do not send it back to him without a gift;(B) by all means send a guilt offering(C) to him. Then you will be healed, and you will know why his hand(D) has not been lifted from you.”

The Philistines asked, “What guilt offering should we send to him?”

They replied, “Five gold tumors and five gold rats, according to the number(E) of the Philistine rulers, because the same plague(F) has struck both you and your rulers.

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