撒母耳記上 7
1 克黎雅特耶阿陵人遂下來，將上主的約櫃抬上去，送到住在丘嶺上的阿彼納達布家裏，並且祝聖他的兒子厄肋阿匝爾，看守上主的約櫃。
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.
2 自從約櫃停放在克黎雅特耶阿陵的那天起，過了很長的時間，大約二十年之久，以色列全家又歸向上主。
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.
3 那時撒慕爾對以色列全家說：「如果你們全心歸向上主，就該將外邦的神由你們中間剷除，一心歸向上主，惟獨事奉上主，他必由培肋舍特人手中解救你們。」
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.”
4 以色列子民遂剷除了巴耳和阿市托勒特，唯獨事奉上主。
The people of Israel got rid of their Baals and Ashtoreth images and worshiped only the Lord.
5 於是撒慕爾說：「你們把全以色列聚集在米茲帕，我要為你們懇求上主。」
Then Samuel said, “Have all the people of Israel gather at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”
6 他們便集在米茲帕，汲了水來，倒在上主面前，並且在那一天禁食說：「我們犯了罪，得罪了上主! 」從此撒慕爾在米茲帕治理以色列子民。
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.
7 培肋舍特人一聽說以色列子民聚集在米茲帕，培肋舍特的酋長就上來攻打以色列，以色列子民聽說培肋舍特人前來，大為震驚，
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.
8 對撒慕爾說：「你不要停止為我們哀求上主，我們的天主，好叫他救我們脫離培肋舍特人的威脅。」
They told Samuel, “Don't stop pleading with the Lord our God for us so he can save us from the Philistines.”
9 撒慕爾遂拿了一隻還在吃奶的羔羊獻給上主，作全燔祭，為以色列呼籲上主，上主應允了他。
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.
10 當撒慕爾正在奉獻全燔祭時，培肋舍特人前來，要與以色列交戰；但上主在那一天使雷聲向著培肋舍特人大作，恐嚇他們，他們就在以色列面前潰退了。
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.
11 以色列人遂從米茲帕出來追擊培肋舍特人，擊殺他們直到貝特加爾下邊。
Then the men of Israel ran out from Mizpah and chased them, killing them all the way to a place near Beth-car.
12 以後，撒慕爾取了一塊石頭，豎立在米茲帕與耶撒納中間，給那石起名叫厄本厄則爾，說：「直到這時上主救助了我們。」
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!”
13 培肋舍特人受了這次挫折以後，不敢再來侵犯以色列的邊境；撒慕爾活著時，上主的手常壓制了培肋舍特人。
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.
14 培肋舍特人由以色列奪去的城市，自厄刻龍直到加特，都歸還了以色列人；以色列人由培肋舍特人手中收復了自己的領土；在那時以色列和阿摩黎人之間平安無事。
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.
15 撒慕爾一生做了以色列的民長。
Samuel was Israel's leader for the rest of his life.
16 他每年去視察貝特耳、基耳加耳和米茲帕，在這些地方治理以色列人。
Every year he went around, going to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. At all these places he ruled Israel.
17 以後他回到辣瑪，因為他的家在那裏，他也在那裏治理以色列人，並在那裏給上主建了一座祭壇。
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.
