1
Therefore the ark of the Lord was in the country of [the] Philistines (for) seven months;
2
and after these things the Philistines called together [the] priests and false diviners, and said, What shall we do of the ark of God? Show ye to us, how we shall send it into his place. (and after these things the Philistines called together the priests and the false diviners, and asked, What shall we do with the Ark of God? Tell us how we should send it back to its own place?)
3
Which said, If ye send again the ark of God of Israel, do not ye deliver it void, but yield ye to him that thing, that ye owe for [the] sin; and then ye shall be healed, and ye shall know, why his hand goeth not away from you. (Who said, If ye return the Ark of the God of Israel, do not ye send it back without a gift, but send ye it back with what ye owe for your sin; and then ye shall be healed, and ye shall know why his hand goeth not away from you now.)
4
And they said, What is it, that we ought to yield to him for (the) trespass? And they answered to them, By the number of the provinces of (the) Philistines, ye shall make five golden arses, and five golden mice; for one vengeance was to all (of) you, and to your wise men, either princes.
5
And ye shall make the likeness of your arses, and the likeness of [the] mice that destroyed your land; and ye shall give glory to [the] God of Israel, if in hap he withdraw his hand from you, and from your gods, and from your land.
6
Why make ye heavy your hearts, as Egypt and Pharaoh grieved their heart(s)? Whether not after that he was smitten, then he delivered God's people, and they went forth? (Why be ye stubborn, or stiff-necked, like Egypt and Pharaoh were stubborn, or stiff-necked? For after God had struck them, did they not let God's people go, and they went away?)
7
Now therefore take ye, and make a new wain, and join ye therein two kine having calves, on which kine no yoke was put; and close ye their calves at home. (And so now take ye, and make ready a new wagon, and join ye it up to two cows who have calves, on which cows no yoke was ever put; and enclose ye their calves at home.)
8
And ye shall take the ark of the Lord, and ye shall set (it) in the wain; and ye shall put in a little coffer at the side of the ark the golden vessels, which ye have paid to the Lord for your trespass; and deliver ye the ark, that it go forth. (And ye shall take the Ark of the Lord, and ye shall put it on the wagon; and ye shall put the gold vessels, that ye send to the Lord for your trespass, in a small box at the side of the Ark; and then let the Ark go forth as it will.)
9
And ye shall behold it, and soothly if it goeth up against Bethshemesh by the way of his coasts, the Lord hath then done to you this great evil; but if it go not thither, we shall know that the hand of the Lord touched not us, but this thing hath fallen to us by hap. (And ye shall watch it, and truly if it goeth up toward Bethshemesh by the way of its coasts, then the Lord hath done this great evil to you; but if it go not there, then we shall know that the hand of the Lord did not touch us, and that this thing hath befallen to us all by happenstance, or chance.)
10
Then they did in this manner; and they took two kine that gave milk to their calves, and they joined them to the wain; and they (en)closed their calves at home.
11
And they put the ark of God upon the wain, and the little coffer, (or the small box,) that had the gold mice, and the likeness of (their) arses.