Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

1 Samuel 6:13

The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cart;   Kirjath-Jearim;   Miracles;   Reaping;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ark of the Covenant;   Philistines, the;   Valleys;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Beth-Shemesh;   Ekron;   Gaza or Azzah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ark;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bethshemesh;   Gath;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Beth-Shemesh;   Wheat;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Beth-Shemesh;   Philistines;   Samuel, Books of;   Vale, Valley;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bethshemesh ;   Coffer;   Emerods;   Mouse,;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Beth-shemesh;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Beth-Shemesh;   Emerods;   Harvest;   Kine;   Levitical Cities;   Mouse;   Palestine;   Vale;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ark of the Covenant;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 2;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed to see it.
Hebrew Names Version
They of Beit-Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
King James Version
And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Lexham English Bible
Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping the wheat harvest in the valley. They lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and they were glad to see it.
English Standard Version
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it.
New Century Version
Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the Ark of the Lord , they were very happy.
New English Translation
Now the residents of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the ark, they were pleased at the sight.
Amplified Bible
Now the men of Beth-shemesh were gathering their wheat harvest in the valley, and they looked up and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it.
New American Standard Bible
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were gathering in their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced at seeing it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheate haruest in the valley, and they lift vp their eyes, and spied the Arke, and reioyced when they sawe it.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to see it.
Contemporary English Version
The people of Beth-Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the chest, they were so happy that they stopped working and started celebrating.
Complete Jewish Bible
The people of Beit-Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley when they looked up and saw the ark. They were so happy to see it!
Darby Translation
And [they of] Beth-shemesh were reaping the wheat-harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Easy-to-Read Version
The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Holy Box. They were very happy to see it again. They ran to get it.
George Lamsa Translation
And the men of the town of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced when they saw it.
Good News Translation
The people of Beth Shemesh were reaping wheat in the valley, when suddenly they looked up and saw the Covenant Box. They were overjoyed at the sight.
Literal Translation
And those of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it .
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The BethSamites were euen reapynge downe their wheate haruest in the valley, and lyfte vp their eyes, and sawe the Arke, and reioysed to se it.
American Standard Version
And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Bible in Basic English
And the people of Beth-shemesh were cutting their grain in the valley, and lifting up their eyes they saw the ark and were full of joy when they saw it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And they of Bethsames were reaping their wheate haruest in the valley: And they lyft vp their eyes, and spied the arke, and reioyced when they sawe it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
King James Version (1611)
And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat haruest in the valley: and they lifted vp their eyes, and saw the Arke, and reioyced to see it.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And 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.
English Revised Version
And they of Beth–shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Berean Standard Bible
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they were overjoyed at the sight.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
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.
Young's Literal Translation
And the Beth-Shemeshites are reaping their wheat-harvest in the valley, and they lift up their eyes, and see the ark, and rejoice to see [it].
Update Bible Version
And they of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Webster's Bible Translation
And [they of] Beth-shemesh [were] reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see [it].
World English Bible
They of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
New King James Version
Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
New Life Bible
Now the people of Bethshemesh were gathering their grain in the valley. They looked up and saw the special box of the Lord, and were glad to see it.
New Revised Standard
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. When they looked up and saw the ark, they went with rejoicing to meet it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
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.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now the Bethsamites were reaping wheat in the valley: and lifting up their eyes, they saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
Revised Standard Version
Now the people of Beth-she'mesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it.
THE MESSAGE
The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Chest. Jubilant, they ran to meet it. The cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth Shemeshite, and stopped there beside a huge boulder. The harvesters tore the cart to pieces, then chopped up the wood and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to God . The Levites took charge of the Chest of God and the sack containing the gold offerings, placing them on the boulder. Offering the sacrifices, everyone in Beth Shemesh worshiped God most heartily that day.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they raised their eyes and saw the ark and were glad to see it.

Contextual Overview

10 So these instructions were carried out. Two cows were hitched to the cart, and their newborn calves were shut up in a pen. 11 Then the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors were placed on the cart. 12 And sure enough, without veering off in other directions, the cows went straight along the road toward Beth-shemesh, lowing as they went. The Philistine rulers followed them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 The people of Beth-shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley, and when they saw the Ark, they were overjoyed! 14 The cart came into the field of a man named Joshua and stopped beside a large rock. So the people broke up the wood of the cart for a fire and killed the cows and sacrificed them to the Lord as a burnt offering. 15 Several men of the tribe of Levi lifted the Ark of the Lord and the chest containing the gold rats and gold tumors from the cart and placed them on the large rock. Many sacrifices and burnt offerings were offered to the Lord that day by the people of Beth-shemesh. 16 The five Philistine rulers watched all this and then returned to Ekron that same day. 17 The five gold tumors sent by the Philistines as a guilt offering to the Lord were gifts from the rulers of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 18 The five gold rats represented the five Philistine towns and their surrounding villages, which were controlled by the five rulers. The large rock at Beth-shemesh, where they set the Ark of the Lord , still stands in the field of Joshua as a witness to what happened there.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Genesis 6:1
Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them.
Genesis 6:2
The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives.
Genesis 6:4
In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times.
Genesis 6:6
So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart.
Genesis 6:7
And the Lord said, "I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them."
Genesis 6:10
Noah was the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:11
Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence.
Genesis 6:12
God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.
Genesis 7:23
God wiped out every living thing on the earth—people, livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and the birds of the sky. All were destroyed. The only people who survived were Noah and those with him in the boat.
Genesis 49:5
"Simeon and Levi are two of a kind; their weapons are instruments of violence.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley,.... Which began at Pentecost, in the month Sivan, about our May; so that there were many people in the fields, who were eyewitnesses of this wonderful event:

and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it; for though the ark while in the tabernacle was only seen by the high priest, when he went into the holy of holies; yet this having been brought out from thence, and exposed in the camp of Israel, some of this place very probably were there at that time, and had seen it, and knew it again by its form and splendour; and which gave them great pleasure to behold, which had been taken, and had been so long in the hand of the enemy, and the people of Israel deprived of it; which was the symbol of the divine Presence among them, and now restored to them again; and in this wonderful way, without seeking for it, without going to war on account of it, without paying a ransom for it; and was brought to them in a cart drawn by cattle without a driver, the lords of the Philistines with a large retinue following it. This is to be understood not of their looking "into" it, as they afterwards did, and were punished, as Kimchi; but of their looking "on" it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The whole population was in the field. The harvest work was suspended in an instant, and all the workmen ran to where the ark was.


 
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