Study Desk

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his home; and the slaughter became exceeding great, - and there fell of Israel - thirty thousand footmen.

So the man said unto Eli, I, am he that came in from the army, yea, I, from the army, fled to-day. And he said - What is the thing that hath happened, my son?

So she said - Exiled is the glory from Israel, - For the ark of God hath been taken.

And, when they of Ashdod rose early on the morrow and entered into the house of Dagon, they looked and lo! Dagon, was lying prostrate on his face to the earth, before the ark of Yahweh, - so they took Dagon and restored him to his place.

And, when the men of Ashdod saw that, so, it was, then kept they saying, Let not the ark of the God of Israel abide with us, for, hard, is his hand upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said - What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they said: To Gath, let the ark of the God of Israel go round. So they took round the ark of the God of Israel.

And so it was, after they had taken it round, then was the hand of Yahweh against the city, with an exceeding great consternation, and he smote the men of the city, from the least, even unto the greatest, - and they brake out with tumours.

Then sent they the ark of God to Ekron, - and so it was, when the ark of God entered Ekron, that the Ekronites made outcry, saying - They have brought round unto me the ark of the God of Israel, to slay me, and my people!

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said - Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and restore it to its own place, that it slay not me, and my people. For there had come a deadly consternation, throughout all the city, heavy exceedingly, was the hand of God there.

And, the men who died not, were smitten with the tumours, - so the cry of the city for help, ascended the heavens.

and ye shall take the ark of Yahweh, and place it in the waggon, also, the jewels of gold which ye send back to him as a guilt-offering, shall ye put into a coffer, at the side thereof, - so shall ye let it go, and it shall depart.

The men, therefore, did so, and took two milch kine, and fastened them in the waggon, - but, their calves, shut they up in the shed.

Now, they of Beth-shemesh, were reaping their wheat-harvest in the vale, - so they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to meet it.

And, the waggon, entered into the field of Joshua, a man of Beth-shemesh, and stood still, there, where also, was a great stone, - so they clave into pieces the planks of the waggon, and, the kine, offered they up as an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh.

And so it was, that, from the day the ark came to dwell in Kiriath-jearim, the days multiplied, and became twenty years, - and all the house of Israel went mourning after Yahweh.

So the sons of Israel put away the Baals, and the Ashtoreths, - and served Yahweh, alone.

So they gathered themselves unto Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said, there, We have sinned against Yahweh. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpah.

So Samuel took one sucking lamb, and offered it up, as an entire ascending-sacrifice unto Yahweh, - and Samuel made outcry unto Yahweh, for Israel, and Yahweh answered him.

So the Philistines were subdued, and, no more, came within the boundary of Israel, - and the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines, all the days of Samuel.

And, his returning, was to Ramah, for, there, was his house, and, there, judged he Israel, - so he built there an altar unto Yahweh.