1 Samuel 6:12

10 And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:

11 And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.

And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.

13 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.

14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth-shemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
KJV
And the kine took the straight way to the way of Beth-shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.
WEB
The cows took the straight way by the way to Beth Shemesh. They went along the highway, lowing as they went, and didn’t turn away to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.
ASV
And the kine took the straight way by the way to Beth-shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Beth-shemesh.
DARBY
And the kine went straight forward on the way to Beth-shemesh; they went by the one high way, lowing as they went; and they turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh.
BLB
And the cows [went] in the way, on the way to Beth-shemesh, along one highway as they went, going and lowing, and they did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
ÅB
Og kyrne gikk rett fram etter veien som førte til Betsemes; de holdt stadig samme vei og rautet alt i ett og bøyde ikke av hverken til høyre eller til venstre, og filistrenes høvdinger gikk etter dem like til Betsemes-bygden.
OTB
Så gikk kyrne rett mot Bet-Semes, holdt seg til veien og rautet mens de gikk. De svingte ikke til høyre eller venstre. Filisternes herskere fulgte dem helt til grensen av Bet-Semes.
B1930
Og kyrne gikk rett frem efter veien som førte til Betsemes; de holdt stadig samme vei og rautet alt i ett og bøide ikke av hverken til høire eller til venstre, og filistrenes høvdinger gikk efter dem like til Betsemes-bygden.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Numbers 20:19

    And the children of Israel said unto him, We will go by the high way: and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it: I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet.

    Read in context