Arca da aliança
A Arca da Aliança era o símbolo mais sagrado de Israel — representava a presença de Deus no meio do seu povo. Sobre ela brilhava a glória do Senhor entre os querubins.
And thus ye shall make it; join together an ark, or a coffer, of the wood of shittim, whose length shall have two cubits and an half, the breadth shall have one cubit and an half, the height in like manner one cubit and an half.
And thou shalt overgild it with cleanest gold within and without; and thou shalt make a golden crown above by compass,
and four golden rings, which thou shalt set by [the] four corners of the ark; two rings be in [the] one side, and two rings in the other side.
Also thou shalt make bars of the wood of shittim, and thou shalt cover them with gold,
and thou shalt bring in by the rings that be in the sides of the ark, that it be borne in them,
the which bars shall ever[more] be in the rings, neither they shall any time be drawn out of them.
And thou shalt put into the ark the witnessing, that is, law, which I shall give to thee.
And thou shalt make a propiti-atory of cleanest gold; that is, a table covering the ark, [or a place of purchasing mercy]; the length thereof shall hold two cubits and an half, [and] the breadth shall hold one cubit and an half.
Also thou shalt make on ever either side of God’s answering place, two cherubims [or cherubim] of gold, and beaten out with an hammer;
one cherub be on one side of God’s answering place, and the tother in the tother side; cover they ever either side of the propitiatory,
and hold they forth their wings, and cover they God’s answering place; and behold they themselves together, while their faces be turned in to the propitiatory,
with which the ark of the Lord shall be covered, in which ark thou shalt put the witnessing [or the testimony], that is, the tables of the law, that I shall give to thee.
From thence I shall command, and I shall speak to thee above the propitiatory, that is, from the midst of [the] two cherubims [or cherubim], that shall be on the ark of witnessing, all things which I shall command by thee to the sons of Israel.
Forsooth Bezaleel made also an ark of the wood of shittim, having two cubits and an half in length, and a cubit and an half in breadth; forsooth the height was of one cubit and an half;
And the Lord spake to Moses, saying,
In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt raise the tabernacle of witnessing.
And thou shalt set the ark therein, and thou shalt leave a veil before it.
He put also the witnessing, that is, the tables of the law, in the ark, and he set the bars within, and God’s answering place above.
And when he had brought the ark into the tabernacle, he hanged a veil before it, that he should fulfill the commandment of the Lord.
And when Moses entered into the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, to ask counsel of God’s answering place, he heard the voice of God speaking to him from the propitiatory, which was on the ark of witnessing, betwixt [the] two cherubims, from whence also God spake to Moses.
And therefore they went forth from the hill [or mount] of the Lord the way of three days; and the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord went before them, by those three days, and purveyed the places of their tents.
And the cloud of the Lord was upon, or over, them by day, when they went forth.
And when the ark was raised, Moses said, Rise thou, Lord, and thine enemies be scattered, and they that hate thee, flee from thy face;
forsooth when the ark was put down, he said, Lord, turn again to the multitude of the host of Israel.
And the Lord spake to Moses, saying,
Speak thou to the sons of Israel, and take thou rods, by their kindreds, by each kindred one rod, take thou of all the princes of the lineages twelve rods; and thou shalt write the name of each lineage upon his rod;
soothly the name of Aaron shall be written in the lineage of Levi, and one rod shall contain all the meines of Levi.
And thou shalt put those rods in the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, before the witnessing, where I shall speak with thee;
the rod of him shall burgeon, whom I shall choose of them to the office of priesthood; and I shall thereby refrain, or quench, from me the complainings, or grutchings, of the sons of Israel, by which they grutch against you.
And Moses spake to the sons of Israel; and all the princes gave to him rods, by all their lineages; and the rods were twelve, without the rod of Aaron.
And when Moses had put those rods before the Lord, in the tabernacle of witnessing,
he went again in the day pursuing [or following], and found that the rod of Aaron, in the house of Levi, had burgeoned; and when [the] knops were great, the blossoms had broken out, which were alarged in leaves, and were formed into almonds.
Therefore Moses brought forth all the rods from the sight of the Lord to all the sons of Israel; and they saw, and received each his rod.
And the Lord said to Moses, Bear thou again the rod of Aaron into the tabernacle of witnessing, that it be kept there into a token of the rebel sons of Israel, and that their complainings, or grutchings, cease from me, lest they die.
And Moses did, as the Lord commanded.
Therefore the people went out of their tabernacles for to pass over the Jordan; and the priests that bare the ark of [the] bond of peace went before the people.
And when the priests entered into the Jordan, and their feet were dipped in the part of [the] water; forsooth the Jordan had filled the brinks of his trough in the time of ripe corn;
the waters went down, and stood in one place, and waxed great at the likeness of an hill, and appeared far from the city that was called Adam, till to the place of Zaretan; soothly the waters that were lower went down into the sea of wilderness, which is now called the Dead Sea, till the waters failed utterly. Forsooth the people went through the Jordan;
and the priests, that bare the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, stood girded on the dry earth in the midst of the Jordan, and all the people passed [over] through the dry trough.
And when they had gone up, bearing the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord, and had begun to tread on the dry earth, the waters turned again into their trough, and flowed again, as they were wont before.
Forsooth Jericho was enclosed and warded, for the dread of the sons of Israel, and no man durst enter, either go out.
And the Lord said to Joshua, Lo! I have given into thine hands Jericho, and the king thereof, and all the strong men of it.
All ye fighters, compass the city once by the day; so ye shall do in six days.
And in the seventh day, the priests shall take seven clarions, which be used in the jubilee; and they shall go before the ark of [the] bond of peace; and seven times ye shall compass the city, and the priests shall trump with the clarions.
And when the voice of the trump shall sound longer, and more by whiles, and shall sound in your ears, all the people shall cry together with greatest cry; and the walls of the city shall fall all-down, and all men shall enter by the place, against which they stand.
Therefore Joshua, the son of Nun, called the priests, and said to them, Take ye the ark of the bond of peace, and seven other priests take they seven clarions of the jubilee years, and go they before the ark of the Lord.
Also Joshua said to the people, Go ye, and compass ye the city, and go ye armed before the ark of the Lord.
Then while all the people cried, and the trumps sounded, after that the sound sounded in the ears of the multitude, the walls felled down anon; and each man went up by the place that was against him. And they took the city,
and made ready battle array against Israel. And when the battle was begun, Israel turned their backs to [the] Philistines; and as four thousand of men were slain in that battle every-where by fields; and the people of Israel turned again to their tents.
And the greater men in birth of Israel said, Why hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Bring we to us from Shiloh the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, and come it into the midst of us, that it save us from the hand of our enemies.
Therefore the people sent into Shiloh, and they took from thence the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord of hosts, that sat on cherubim. And Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were with the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord.
And when the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord had come into the tents, all Israel cried [out] with [a] great cry, and the earth sounded.
And the Philistines heard the voice of their cry, and they said, And what is this voice of great cry in the tents of Hebrews? And they knew, that the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord had come into the tents of Israel.
And the Philistines dreaded, and said, God is come into their tents; and they wailed, and said, Woe to us! for so great out-joying was not there yesterday, and the third day passed;
woe to us! who shall keep us from the hand of these high gods? these be the gods, that smited Egypt with all vengeance in desert.
Philistines, be ye comforted, and be ye men, serve ye not to the Hebrews, as they have served to you; be ye comforted, and fight ye against Israel.
Then the Philistines fought, and Israel was overcome, and each man fled into his tabernacle; and a full great vengeance was made, and thirty thousand of footmen of Israel felled down.
And the ark of God was taken; and, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were dead.
Forsooth the hand of the Lord was made grievous upon [the] men of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and he smote Ashdod and the coasts thereof in the privier part of [the] buttocks or in the more privy part of their tail ends.
And men of Ashdod saw such a vengeance, and they said, The ark of God of Israel dwell not with us; for his hand is hard on us, and on Dagon our god.
And they sent, and gathered all the wise men, either princes, of Philistines to them, and said, What shall we do of the ark of God of Israel? And the men of Gath answered, The ark of God of Israel be led about; and they led about the ark of God of Israel.
And while they led it about, the hand of the Lord was made upon all the cities about, of full great slaughter; and he smote men of each city, from a little man till to the more, and the lower entrails of them waxed rotten, and came forth; and men of Gath took counsel, and they made to them-selves seats of skins, either cushions.
Therefore they sent the ark of the Lord into Ekron. And when the ark of the Lord had come into Ekron, men of Ekron cried [out], and said, They have brought to us the ark of God of Israel, that he slay us and our people.
Then they sent, and gathered together all the wise men, either princes, of Philistines; which said, Deliver ye the ark of God of Israel, and turn it again into his place, and slay not us with our people. For dread of death was made in all [the] cities, and the hand of the Lord was full grievous.
Therefore the ark of the Lord was in the country of [the] Philistines for seven months;
and after these things the Philistines called together [the] priests and false diviners, and said, What shall we do of the ark of God? Show ye to us, how we shall send it into his place.
Which said, If ye send again the ark of God of Israel, do not ye deliver it void, but yield ye to him that thing, that ye owe for [the] sin; and then ye shall be healed, and ye shall know, why his hand goeth not away from you.
Then they did in this manner; and they took two kine that gave milk to their calves, and they joined them to the wain; and they enclosed their calves at home.
And they put the ark of God upon the wain, and the little coffer, that had the gold mice, and the likeness of their arses.
And the kine went straightly by the way that leadeth to Bethshemesh; and those kine went in one way going and lowing, and they bowed not neither to the right side nor to the left side; but also the wise men of Philistines followed unto the coasts of Bethshemesh.
Forsooth men of Bethshemesh reaped wheat in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and they were joyful, when they had seen it.
And the wain came into the field of Joshua of Bethshemesh, and stood there. And a great stone was there; and they cutted the wood of the wain, and putted the kine on that wood, as a burnt sacrifice to the Lord.
And the deacons [or Levites] took down the ark of God, and the little coffer that was beside it, where-in the golden vessels were; and they putted those upon the great stone. And the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt sacrifices, and offered slain sacrifices in that day to the Lord.
Therefore men of Kiriathjearim came, and led again the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in Gibeah. And they hallowed Eleazar his son, that he should keep the ark of the Lord.
And it was done, from which day the ark of the Lord dwelled in Kiriath-jearim, that the days were multiplied; for the twentieth year was now, after that Samuel began to teach the people; and all Israel rested after the Lord.
And it was told to king David, that the Lord had blessed Obededom, and all his things, for the ark of God. And David said, I shall go, and bring the ark with blessing into mine house. Therefore David went, and brought the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with joy.
And when they, that bare the ark of the Lord, had gone six paces, they offered an ox and a ram.
And David smote in organs fastened to his arm; and he danced with all his strengths before the Lord; and David was clothed with a linen surplice.
And David, and all the house of Israel, led forth the ark of [the] testament or of [the] witnessing of the Lord in hearty song, and in sound of trump.
Then all the greater men in birth in Israel, with [the] princes of the lineages, and the dukes of [the] meines of the sons of Israel, were gathered to king Solomon, into Jerusalem, that they should bear the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord from the city of David, that is, from Zion.
And all Israel came together [to king Solomon] in the month [of] Ethanim, that is September, in the solemn day; which is the seventh month.
And all the eld men of Israel came; and the priests took the ark,
and they bare the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of [the] bond of peace, and all the vessels of the saintuary, that were in the tabernacle; and the priests and deacons bare those [or them].
And king Solomon, and all the multitude of Israel, that came together to him, went with him before the ark; and they offered sheep and oxen, without guessing and number.
And [the] priests brought the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord into his place, into God’s answering place of the temple, into the holy of holy things, under the wings of the cherubims [or cherubim].
And the cherubims [or cherubim] spreaded forth their wings over the place of the ark; and they covered the ark, and the bars thereof above.
And when the bars stood forth, and the highness of those [or them] appeared without the saintuary, before God’s answering place, those bars appeared no further withoutforth; the which bars also were there unto this present day.
And in the ark was none other thing, no but [the] two tables of stone, which Moses in Horeb had put in the ark, when the Lord made bond of peace with the sons of Israel, when they went out of the land of Egypt.
And it was done when the priests had gone out of the saintuary, a cloud filled the house of the Lord;
and the priests might not stand and minister, for the cloud; for why the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.
Be ye converted, sons, turning again, saith the Lord, for I am your husband; and I shall take you, one of a city, and twain [or two] of a kindred, and I shall lead you into Zion;
and I shall give to you shepherds after mine heart, and they shall feed you with knowing and teaching.
And when ye shall be multiplied, and increase in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, they shall no more say, The ark of [the] testament of the Lord; neither it shall ascend [or go up] on the heart, neither they shall think on it, neither it shall be visited, neither it shall be further.
And the former testament had justifyings of worship, and holy thing enduring for a time.
For the tabernacle was made first, in which were candlesticks, and [a] board, and setting forth [or putting forth] of loaves, which is said holy.
And after the veil, the second tabernacle, that is said sanctum sanctorum, that is, holy of holy things;
having a golden censer, and the ark of the testament, covered about on each side with gold, in which was a pot of gold having manna, and the rod of Aaron that flowered, and the tables of the testament;
on which things were cherubims of glory, overshadowing the propiti-atory, [or mercyable place]; of which things it is not now to say by all.
And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple; and lightnings were made, and voices, and thunders, and earth-moving, and great hail.