صَمُوئِيلَ ٱلْأَوَّلُ 7

١ 1 فَجَاءَ أَهْلُ قَرْيَةِ يَعَارِيمَ وَأَصْعَدُوا تَابُوتَ ٱلرَّبِّ وَأَدْخَلُوهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ أَبِينَادَابَ فِي ٱلْأَكَمَةِ، وَقَدَّسُوا أَلِعَازَارَ ٱبْنَهُ لِأَجْلِ حِرَاسَةِ تَابُوتِ ٱلرَّبِّ.

So the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord. They put it in Abinadab's house on the hill. They dedicated his son Eleazar to take care of the Ark of the Lord.

٢ 2 وَكَانَ مِنْ يَوْمِ جُلُوسِ ٱلتَّابُوتِ فِي قَرْيَةِ يَعَارِيمَ أَنَّ ٱلْمُدَّةَ طَالَتْ وَكَانَتْ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً. وَنَاحَ كُلُّ بَيْتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَرَاءَ ٱلرَّبِّ.

The Ark remained there in Kiriath-jearim from that day for a long time, in fact for twenty years. Everyone in Israel mourned and in repentance came back to the Lord.

٣ 3 وَكَلَّمَ صَمُوئِيلُ كُلَّ بَيْتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ قَائِلًا: «إِنْ كُنْتُمْ بِكُلِّ قُلُوبِكُمْ رَاجِعِينَ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ، فَٱنْزِعُوا ٱلْآلِهَةَ ٱلْغَرِيبَةَ وَٱلْعَشْتَارُوثَ مِنْ وَسْطِكُمْ، وَأَعِدُّوا قُلُوبَكُمْ لِلرَّبِّ وَٱعْبُدُوهُ وَحْدَهُ، فَيُنْقِذَكُمْ مِنْ يَدِ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ».

Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “If you sincerely wish to come back to the Lord, then get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth images you have, and commit yourselves to the Lord and only worship him, and he will save you from the Philistines.”

٤ 4 فَنَزَعَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ ٱلْبَعْلِيمَ وَٱلْعَشْتَارُوثَ وَعَبَدُوا ٱلرَّبَّ وَحْدَهُ.

The people of Israel got rid of their Baals and Ashtoreth images and worshiped only the Lord.

٥ 5 فَقَالَ صَمُوئِيلُ: «ٱجْمَعُوا كُلَّ إِسْرَائِيلَ إِلَى ٱلْمِصْفَاةِ فَأُصَلِّيَ لِأَجْلِكُمْ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ»

Then Samuel said, “Have all the people of Israel gather at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”

٦ 6 فَٱجْتَمَعُوا إِلَى ٱلْمِصْفَاةِ وَٱسْتَقَوْا مَاءً وَسَكَبُوهُ أَمَامَ ٱلرَّبِّ، وَصَامُوا فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ وَقَالُوا هُنَاكَ: «قَدْ أَخْطَأْنَا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ». وَقَضَى صَمُوئِيلُ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي ٱلْمِصْفَاةِ.

Once they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Samuel became the leader of the Israelites at Mizpah.

٧ 7 وَسَمِعَ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ أَنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَدِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا فِي ٱلْمِصْفَاةِ، فَصَعِدَ أَقْطَابُ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ إِلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ. فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ خَافُوا مِنَ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ.

When the Philistines found out that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers led an attack on Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were terrified at what the Philistines might do.

٨ 8 وَقَالَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ لِصَمُوئِيلَ: «لَا تَكُفَّ عَنِ ٱلصُّرَاخِ مِنْ أَجْلِنَا إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا فَيُخَلِّصَنَا مِنْ يَدِ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ».

They told Samuel, “Don't stop pleading with the Lord our God for us so he can save us from the Philistines.”

٩ 9 فَأَخَذَ صَمُوئِيلُ حَمَلًا رَضِيعًا وَأَصْعَدَهُ مُحْرَقَةً بِتَمَامِهِ لِلرَّبِّ، وَصَرَخَ صَمُوئِيلُ إِلَى ٱلرَّبِّ مِنْ أَجْلِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ.

Samuel took a young lamb and presented it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out for help to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord responded.

١٠ 10 وَبَيْنَمَا كَانَ صَمُوئِيلُ يُصْعِدُ ٱلْمُحْرَقَةَ، تَقَدَّمَ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ لِمُحَارَبَةِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَأَرْعَدَ ٱلرَّبُّ بِصَوْتٍ عَظِيمٍ فِي ذَلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمِ عَلَى ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ وَأَزْعَجَهُمْ، فَٱنْكَسَرُوا أَمَامَ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

While Samuel was presenting the burnt offering, the Philistines approached to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered extremely loudly against the Philistines that day, which totally confused them, and they were defeated as Israel watched.

١١ 11 وَخَرَجَ رِجَالُ إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنَ ٱلْمِصْفَاةِ وَتَبِعُوا ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ وَضَرَبُوهُمْ إِلَى مَا تَحْتَ بَيْتِ كَارٍ.

Then the men of Israel ran out from Mizpah and chased them, killing them all the way to a place near Beth-car.

١٢ 12 فَأَخَذَ صَمُوئِيلُ حَجَرًا وَنَصَبَهُ بَيْنَ ٱلْمِصْفَاةِ وَٱلسِّنِّ، وَدَعَا ٱسْمَهُ «حَجَرَ ٱلْمَعُونَةِ» وَقَالَ: «إِلَى هُنَا أَعَانَنَا ٱلرَّبُّ».

After this Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. He called it Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord helped us right up to here!”

١٣ 13 فَذَلَّ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ وَلَمْ يَعُودُوا بَعْدُ لِلدُّخُولِ فِي تُخْمِ إِسْرَائِيلَ. وَكَانَتْ يَدُ ٱلرَّبِّ عَلَى ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ كُلَّ أَيَّامِ صَمُوئِيلَ.

In this way the Philistines were kept under control and did not invade Israel again. During Samuel's lifetime the Lord used his power against the Philistines.

١٤ 14 وَٱلْمُدُنُ ٱلَّتِي أَخَذَهَا ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيُّونَ مِنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجَعَتْ إِلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ عَقْرُونَ إِلَى جَتَّ. وَٱسْتَخْلَصَ إِسْرَائِيلُ تُخُومَهَا مِنْ يَدِ ٱلْفِلِسْطِينِيِّينَ. وَكَانَ صُلْحٌ بَيْنَ إِسْرَائِيلَ وَٱلْأَمُورِيِّينَ.

The towns the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, all the way from Ekron to Gath, and Israel also liberated the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

١٥ 15 وَقَضَى صَمُوئِيلُ لِإِسْرَائِيلَ كُلَّ أَيَّامِ حَيَاتِهِ.

Samuel was Israel's leader for the rest of his life.

١٦ 16 وَكَانَ يَذْهَبُ مِنْ سَنَةٍ إِلَى سَنَةٍ وَيَدُورُ فِي بَيْتِ إِيلَ وَٱلْجِلْجَالِ وَٱلْمِصْفَاةِ، وَيَقْضِي لِإِسْرَائِيلَ فِي جَمِيعِ هَذِهِ ٱلْمَوَاضِعِ.

Every year he went around, going to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. At all these places he ruled Israel.

١٧ 17 وَكَانَ رُجُوعُهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّامَةِ لِأَنَّ بَيْتَهُ هُنَاكَ. وَهُنَاكَ قَضَى لِإِسْرَائِيلَ، وَبَنَى هُنَاكَ مَذْبَحًا لِلرَّبِّ.

Then he would return to Ramah because that was where he lived. He ruled Israel from there, and also built an altar to the Lord.