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Berean Standard Bible

“but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.””

1 Samuel 6:9

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Study note

The Philistines captured the ark of the covenant and suffered plagues wherever it went. Their priests devise a test to see whether the disasters are truly from the God of Israel or only chance.

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Compare translations

Berean Standard Bible (BSB)

but keep watching it. If it goes up the road to its homeland, toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has brought on us this great disaster. But if it does not, then we will know that it was not His hand that punished us and that it happened by chance.”

World English Bible (WEB)

Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has done us this great evil; but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us. It was a chance that happened to us.”

King James Version (KJV)

And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

American Standard Version (ASV)

And see; if it goeth up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us.

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

If it goes by the land of Israel to Beth-shemesh, then this great evil is his work; but if not, then we may be certain that the evil was not his doing, but was the working of chance.

Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

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Reina-Valera 1909 (RVR 1909)

Y mirad: si sube por el camino de su término á Beth-semes, él nos ha hecho este mal tan grande; y si no, seremos ciertos que su mano no nos hirió, nos ha sido accidente.

Sagradas Escrituras 1569 (SE 1569)

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Nueva Biblia Viva (NBV)

Si cruzan la frontera de nuestra tierra y entran en Bet Semes, que es territorio de ellos, sabremos que fue el Señor quien envió este gran mal sobre nosotros; pero si no, si las vacas regresan a buscar a sus becerros, sabremos que la plaga fue simplemente una coincidencia y que no fue enviada por el Señor.

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