1. Krallar (1. Samuel) 6

¹Ve Rab'bin sandığı yabancıların topraklarında yedi ay kaldı ve onların toprağı fareler fışkırttı.

²Bunun üzerine yabancılar kendi kâhinlerini, bilicilerini ve efsuncularını çağırıp, "Rab'bin sandığına ne yapalım? Onu kendi yerine neyle göndereceğimizi bize bildirin" dediler.

³Onlar da şöyle dediler: "Eğer İsrail Tanrısı Rab'bin antlaşma sandığını geri gönderecekseniz, onu sakın boş göndermeyin; aksine, O'na mutlaka bir ceza bedeli ödeyin. O zaman şifa bulursunuz ve size bağışlanma sağlanır, böylece O'nun elinin üzerinizden çekilmezlik etmesinin önüne geçilmiş olur."

⁴Onlar da, "O'na ceza bedeli olarak ne ödeyeceğiz?" dediler. Şöyle yanıtladılar: "Yabancıların satraplarının sayısına göre beş altın oturak yeri; çünkü aynı veba hem sizlerin, hem önderlerinizin, hem de halkınızın üzerindeydi."

⁵"Ve toprağınızı mahveden farelerinizin benzeri altın fareler yapın; böylece Rab'be yücelik verin, belki O elini sizin, ilahlarınızın ve toprağınızın üzerinden hafifletir."

⁶"Mısır ve Firavun kendi yüreklerini nasıl katılaştırdılarsa, siz de neden yüreklerinizi katılaştırıyorsunuz? O onlarla alay edip onları küçük düşürdüğünde, halkı salıvermediler mi ve onlar da gitmediler mi?"

⁷"Şimdi yeni bir araba hazırlayın ve yanlarında yavruları olmayan, ilk kez yavrulamış iki inek alın. İnekleri arabaya koşun, yavrularını ise arkalarından ayırıp eve götürün."

⁸"Ve Rab'bin sandığını alıp arabaya koyun; ceza bedeli olarak O'na ödeyeceğiniz altın eşyaları ise sandığın yan tarafındaki bir bersehthan kutusuna yerleştirin. Sonra onu salıverin, gitsin."

⁹"Ve izleyin: Eğer kendi sınır yolu boyunca Beyt-Şemeş'e doğru giderse, bize bu büyük kötülüğü yapan O'dur. Ama gitmezse, bize dokunanın O'nun eli olmadığını, bunun başımıza tesadüfen geldiğini anlayacağız."

¹⁰Yabancılar söyleneni aynen yaptılar; ilk kez yavrulamış iki inek alıp arabaya koştular, yavrularını ise eve kapatıp gitmelerini engellediler.

¹¹Rab'bin sandığını, ergab kutusunu ve altın fareleri arabanın üzerine yerleştirdiler.

¹²İnekler doğrudan Beyt-Şemeş yoluna saptılar; tek bir patikada, yorularak ama durmaksızın ilerlediler ve ne sağa ne de sola saptılar. Yabancıların satrapları da Beyt-Şemeş sınırına kadar arkalarından gittiler.

¹³Beyt-Şemeş halkı ise vadide buğday biçiyordu; başlarını kaldırıp Rab'bin sandığını görünce sevinçle onu karşılamaya çıktılar.

¹⁴Araba Beyt-Şemeş'teki Oşe'nin tarlasına girdi ve orada büyük bir taşın yanında durdu. Arabanın odunlarını yardılar ve inekleri Rab'be yakmalık sunu olarak sundular.

¹⁵Levililer Rab'bin sandığını, yanındaki ergab kutusunu ve üzerindeki altın eşyaları indirip büyük taşın üzerine koydular; Beyt-Şemeş halkı da o gün Rab'be yakmalık sunular sundu ve kurbanlar kesti.

¹⁶Beş satrap bunu görünce aynı gün Aşkelon'a geri döndüler.

¹⁷Yabancıların Rab'be ceza bedeli olarak ödedikleri altın oturak yerleri şunlardı: Aşdot için bir, Gazze için bir, Aşkelon için bir, Gat için bir, Ekron için bir.

¹⁸Altın farelerin sayısı ise, beş satrapın surlarla tahkim edilmiş kentlerinden Perizlilerin köylerine ve üzerine Rab'bin antlaşma sandığını koydukları büyük taşa kadar uzanan tüm kentlerin sayısına göreydi; bu taş Beyt-Şemeşli Oşe'nin tarlasındadır.

¹⁹Yekonyas'ın oğulları, Rab'bin sandığını gördükleri halde Beyt-Şemeş halkıyla birlikte sevinmediler; bu yüzden Rab onlardan yetmiş kişiyle birlikte elli bin kişiyi vurdu. Rab halkı böylesine büyük bir kırımla vurduğu için halk yas tuttu.

²⁰Beyt-Şemeş halkı, "Bu kutsal Tanrı olan Rab'bin huzurundan geçmeye kim muktedir olabilir?" dedi, "Rab'bin sandığı bizden gidip kime ulaşacak?"

²¹Kiryat-Yearim sakinlerine haberciler göndererek şöyle dediler: "Yabancılar Rab'bin sandığını geri getirdiler. Aşağı inin de onu yanınıza alın."

¹ΚΑΙ ἦν κιβωτὸς ἐν ἀγρῷ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἑπτὰ μῆνας, καὶ ἐξέζεσεν ἡ γῆ αὐτῶν μύας.

²καὶ καλοῦσιν ἀλλόφυλοι τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ τοὺς μάντεις καὶ τοὺς ἐπαοιδοὺς αὐτῶν λέγοντες· τί ποιήσωμεν τῇ κιβωτῷ Κυρίου; γνωρίσατε ἡμῖν ἐν τίνι ἀποστελοῦμεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς.

³καὶ εἶπαν· εἰ ἐξαποστέλλετε ὑμεῖς τὴν κιβωτὸν διαθήκης Κυρίου Θεοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ, μὴ δὴ ἐξαποστείλητε αὐτὴν κενήν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀποδιδόντες ἀπόδοτε αὐτῇ τῆς βασάνου, καὶ τότε ἰαθήσεσθε, καὶ ἐξιλασθήσεται ὑμῖν, μὴ οὐκ ἀποστῇ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν.

⁴καὶ λέγουσι· τί τὸ τῆς βασάνου ἀποδώσομεν αὐτῇ; καὶ εἶπαν· κατ᾿ ἀριθμὸν τῶν σατραπῶν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων πέντε ἕδρας χρυσᾶς, ὅτι πταῖσμα ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν ὑμῶν καὶ τῷ λαῷ,

⁵καὶ μῦς χρυσοῦς ὁμοίωμα τῶν μυῶν ὑμῶν τῶν διαφθειρόντων τὴν γῆν· καὶ δώσετε τῷ Κυρίῳ δόξαν, ὅπως κουφίσῃ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν ὑμῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ὑμῶν.

⁶καὶ ἵνα τί βαρύνετε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, ὡς ἐβάρυνεν Αἴγυπτος καὶ Φαραὼ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν; οὐχὶ ὅτε ἐνέπαιξεν αὐτοῖς, ἐξαπέστειλαν αὐτούς, καὶ ἀπῆλθον;

⁷καὶ νῦν λάβετε καὶ ποιήσατε ἅμαξαν καινὴν καὶ δύο βόας πρωτοτοκούσας ἄνευ τῶν τέκνων καὶ ζεύξατε τὰς βόας ἐν τῇ ἁμάξῃ καὶ ἀπαγάγετε τὰ τέκνα ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν αὐτῶν εἰς οἶκον·

⁸καὶ λήψεσθε τὴν κιβωτὸν καὶ θήσετε αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἅμαξαν καὶ τὰ σκεύη τὰ χρυσᾶ ἀποδώσετε αὐτῇ τῆς βασάνου καὶ θήσετε ἐν θέματι βερσεχθὰν ἐκ μέρους αὐτῆς καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖτε αὐτὴν καὶ ἀπελάσατε αὐτήν, καὶ ἀπελεύσεται·

⁹καὶ ὄψεσθε, εἰ εἰς ὁδὸν ὁρίων αὐτῆς πορεύσεται κατὰ Βαιθσαμύς, αὐτὸς πεποίηκεν ἡμῖν τὴν κακίαν τὴν μεγάλην ταύτην, καὶ ἐὰν μή, καὶ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι οὐ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ἧπται ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ σύμπτωμα τοῦτο γέγονεν ἡμῖν.

¹⁰καὶ ἐποίησαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι οὕτω. καὶ ἔλαβον δύο βόας πρωτοτοκούσας καὶ ἔζευξαν αὐτὰς ἐν τῇ ἁμάξῃ καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ἀπεκώλυσαν εἰς οἶκον

¹¹καὶ ἔθεντο τὴν κιβωτὸν Κυρίου ἐπὶ τὴν ἅμαξαν καὶ τὸ θέμα ἐργὰβ καὶ τοὺς μῦς τοὺς χρυσοῦς.

¹²καὶ κατεύθυναν αἱ βόες ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ εἰς ὁδὸν Βαιθσαμύς, ἐν τρίβῳ ἑνὶ ἐπορεύοντο καὶ ἐκοπίων καὶ οὐ μεθίσταντο δεξιὰ οὐδὲ ἀριστερά· καὶ οἱ σατράπαι τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐπορεύοντο ὀπίσω αὐτῆς ἕως ὁρίων Βαιθσαμύς.

¹³καὶ οἱ ἐν Βαιθσαμὺς ἐθέριζον θερισμὸν πυρῶν ἐν κοιλάδι· καὶ ᾖραν ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ εἶδον κιβωτὸν Κυρίου καὶ ηὐφράνθησαν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτῆς.

¹⁴καὶ ἡ ἅμαξα εἰσῆλθεν εἰς ἀγρὸν ᾿Ωσηὲ τὸν ἐν Βαιθσαμύς, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐκεῖ παρ᾿ αὐτῇ λίθον μέγαν καὶ σχίζουσι τὰ ξύλα τῆς ἁμάξης καὶ τὰς βόας ἀνήνεγκαν εἰς ὁλοκαύτωσιν τῷ Κυρίῳ.

¹⁵καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἀνήνεγκαν τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τὸ θέμα ἐργὰβ μετ᾿ αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῆς σκεύη τὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ ἔθεντο ἐπὶ τοῦ λίθου τοῦ μεγάλου, καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες Βαιθσαμὺς ἀνήνεγκαν ὁλοκαυτώσεις καὶ θυσίας ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τῷ Κυρίῳ.

¹⁶καὶ οἱ πέντε σατράπαι τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἑώρων καὶ ἀνέστρεψαν εἰς ᾿Ασκάλωνα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ.

¹⁷καὶ αὗται αἱ ἕδραι αἱ χρυσαῖ, ἃς ἀπέδωκαν οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τῆς βασάνου τῷ Κυρίῳ· τῆς ᾿Αζώτου μίαν, τῆςΓάζης μίαν, τῆς ᾿Ασκάλωνος μίαν, τῆς Γὲθ μίαν, τῆς ᾿Ακκαρὼν μίαν.

¹⁸καὶ μῦς οἱ χρυσοῖ κατ᾿ ἀριθμὸν πασῶν πόλεων τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τῶν πέντε σατραπῶν ἐκ πόλεως ἐστερεωμένης καὶ ἕως κώμης τοῦ Φερεζαίου καὶ ἕως λίθου τοῦ μεγάλου, οὗ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὴν κιβωτὸν διαθήκης Κυρίου, τοῦ ἐν ἀγρῷ ᾿Ωσηὲ τοῦ Βαιθσαμυσίτου.

¹⁹Καὶ οὐκ ἠσμένισαν οἱ υἱοὶ ᾿Ιεχονίου ἐν τοῖς ἀνδράσι Βαιθσαμύς, ὅτι εἶδον κιβωτὸν Κυρίου· καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνδρας, καὶ πεντήκοντα χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν, καὶ ἐπένθησεν ὁ λαός, ὅτι ἐπάταξε Κύριος ἐν τῷ λαῷ πληγὴν μεγάλην σφόδρα.

²⁰καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ ἐκ Βαιθσαμύς· τίς δυνήσεται διελθεῖν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου τούτου; καὶ πρὸς τίνα ἀναβήσεται κιβωτὸς Κυρίου ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν;

²¹καὶ ἀποστέλλουσιν ἀγγέλους πρὸς τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Καριαθιαρὶμ λέγοντες· ἀπεστρόφασιν ἀλλόφυλοι τὴν κιβωτὸν Κυρίου· κατάβητε καὶ ἀναγάγετε αὐτὴν πρὸς ἑαυτούς.

¹And the ark was seven months in the country of the Philistines, and their land brought forth swarms of mice.

²And the Philistines call their priests, and their prophets, and their enchanters, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the Lord? teach us wherewith we shall send it away to its place.

³And they said, If ye send away the ark of the covenant of the Lord God of Israel, do not on any account send it away empty, but by all means render to it an offering for the plague; and then shall ye be healed, and an atonement shall be made for you: should not his hand be [thus] stayed from off you?

⁴And they say, What [is] the offering for the plague [which] we shall return to it? and they said,

⁵According to the number of the lords of the Philistines, five golden emerods, for the plague was on you, and on your rulers, and on the people; and golden mice, the likeness of the mice that destroy your land: and ye shall give glory to the Lord, that he may lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

⁶And why do ye harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharao hardened their hearts? [was it] not [so] when he mocked them, [that] they let the people go, and they departed?

⁷And now take wood and make a new waggon, and take two cows, that have calved for the first time, without their calves; and do ye yoke the cows to the waggon, and lead away the calves from behind them home.

⁸And ye shall take the ark and put it on the waggon; and ye shall restore to it the golden articles for the trespass-offering in a coffer by the side of it: and ye shall let it go, and sent it away, and ye shall depart.

⁹And ye shall see, if it shall go the way of its coasts along by Baethsamys, he has brought upon us this great affliction; and if not, then shall we know that his hand has not touched us, but this [is a] chance [which] has happened to us.

¹⁰And the Philistines did so; and they took two cows that had calved for the first time, and yoked them to the waggon, and shut up their calves at home.

¹¹And they set the ark of the Lord, and the coffer, and the golden mice, on the waggon.

¹²And the cows went straight on the way to the way of Baethsamys, they went along one track; and laboured, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after it as far as the coasts of Baethsamys.

¹³And the men of Baethsamys were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark of the Lord, and rejoiced to meet it.

¹⁴And the waggon entered into the field of Osee, which was in Baethsamys, and they set there by it a great stone; and they split the wood of the waggon, and offered up the cows for a whole-burnt-offering to the Lord.

¹⁵And the Levites brought up the ark of the Lord, and the coffer with it, and the golden articles upon it, and placed them on the great stone, and the men of Baethsamys offered whole-burnt-offerings and meat offerings on that day to the Lord.

¹⁶And the five lords of the Philistines saw, and returned to Ascalon in that day.

¹⁷And these [are] the golden emerods which the lords of the Philistines gave as a trespass-offering to the Lord; for Azotus one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for Geth one, for Accaron one.

¹⁸And the golden mice according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines, belonging to the five lords, from the fenced city to the village of the Pherezite, and to the great stone, on which they placed the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that was in the field of Osee the Baethsamysite.

¹⁹And the sons of Jechonias were not pleased with the men of Baethsamys, because they saw the ark of the Lord; and [the Lord] smote among them seventy men, and fifty thousand men: and the people mourned, because the Lord had inflicted on the people, a very great plague.

²⁰And the men of Baethsamys said, Who shall be able to pass before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall the ark of the Lord go up from us?

²¹And they send messengers to the inhabitants of Cariathiarim, saying, The Philistines have brought back the ark of the Lord, go down and take it home to yourselves.