1 Samuel 6

¹ Now therfor take ye, and make o newe wayn, and ioyne ye twei kien hauynge caluys, on whiche kyen no yok was put; and close ye her calues at hoome. ² And ye schulen take the arke of the Lord, and ye schulen sette in the wayn; and ye schulen put in a panyere at the side therof the goldun vessels, whiche ye payeden to hym for trespas; and delyuere ye the arke, that it go. ³ And ye schulen biholde, and sotheli if it stieth ayens Bethsames bi the weie of hise coostis, he dide to you this greet yuel; but if nay, we schulen wite for his hond touchide not vs, but if it bifelde bi hap. ⁴ Therfor thei diden in this manere; and thei token twei kien that yauen mylk to caluys, and ioyneden to the wayn; and thei closiden her caluys at hoome. ⁵ And thei puttiden the arke of God on the wayn, and thei puttiden the panyere, that hadde the goldun myis, and the licnesse of ersis on the wayn. ⁶ Sotheli the kien yeden streiytli bi the weie that ledith to Bethsames; and tho yeden in o weie goynge and lowynge, and bowiden not nether to the riyt side nether to the left side; but also the wise men of Filisteis sueden til to the termes of Bethsames. 7 Forsothe men of Bethsames repiden whete in the valey, and thei reisiden the iyen, and sien the arke, and thei weren ioyful, whanne thei hadden sien the arke. ⁸ And the wayn cam in to the feelde of Josue of Bethsames, and stood there. Forsothe a greet stoon was there; and thei kittiden the trees of the wayn, and puttiden the kien on tho trees, a brent sacrifice to the Lord. ⁹ Sotheli dekenes token doun the arke of God, and the panyere, that was bisidis it, where ynne the goldun vessels weren; and thei settiden on the greet stoon. Forsothe the men of Bethsames offriden brent sacrifices, and offriden slayn sacrifices in that dai to the Lord. 10 And fyue princes of Filisteis sien, and turneden ayen in to Accoron in that dai. 11 Sotheli these ben the goldun ersis, whiche the Filisteis yeldiden to the Lord for trespas; Azotus yeldide oon; Gaza yeldide oon; Ascolon yeldide oon; Geth yeldide oon; Accaron yeldide oon; 12 and Filisteis yeldiden golden myis bi the noumbre of citees of Filisteis of fyue prouynces, fro a wallid citee til to a town that was with out wal, and til to the greet Abel, on which thei puttiden the arke of the Lord, that was there til in that dai in the feeld of Josue of Bethsames. 13 Forsothe the Lord smoot of the men of Bethsames, for thei hadden seyn the arke of the Lord, and he smoot of the puple seuenti men, and fifty thousynde of the porail. And the puple morenyde, for the Lord hadde smyte the puple with greet veniaunce. ¹⁴ And men of Bethsames seiden, Who schal now stonde in the siyt of the Lord God of this hooli thing, and to whom schal it stie fro vs? ¹⁵ And thei senten messangeris to the dwelleris of Cariathiarym, and seiden, Filisteis han brouyt ayen the arke of the Lord; come ye doun, and lede it ayen to you. ¹⁷ Therfor men of Cariathiarym camen, and ledden ayen the arke of the Lord, and brouyten it in to the hows of Amynadab in Gabaa. Sotheli thei halewiden Eleazar his sone, that he schulde kepe the ark of the Lord. ¹⁸ And it was doon, fro which dai `the arke of the Lord dwellide in Caryathiarym, daies weren multiplied; for the twentithe yeer was now, after that Samuel bigan to teche the puple; and al Israel restide aftir the Lord. ¹⁹ Forsothe Samuel spak to al the hows of Israel, and seide, If in al youre herte ye turnen ayen to the Lord, do ye awei alien goddis, Balym and Astaroth, fro the myddis of you; and make ye redi youre hertis to the Lord, and serue ye hym aloone; and he schal delyuere you fro the hond of Filisteis. ²⁰ Therfor the sones of Israel diden awey Baalym and Astoroth, and serueden the Lord aloone. ²¹ Forsothe Samuel seide, Gadere ye al Israel in to Masphat, that Y preie the Lord for you.