Kings I 7

1 And the men of Cariathiarim come, and bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord: and they bring it into the house of Aminadab in the hill; and they sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

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 And it came to pass from the time that the ark was in Cariathiarim, the days were multiplied, and [the time] was twenty years; and all the house of Israel looked after the Lord.

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 And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If you do with all your heart return to the Lord, take away the strange gods from the midst of you, and the groves, and prepare your hearts to [serve] the Lord, and serve him only; and he shall deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.

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 And the children of Israel took away Baalim and the groves of Astaroth, and served the Lord only.

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

5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Massephath, and I will pray for you to the Lord.

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

6 And they were gathered together to Massephath, and they drew water, and poured it out upon the earth before the Lord. And they fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned before the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Massephath.

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 And the Philistines heard that all the children of Israel were gathered together to Massephath: and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel: and the children of Israel heard, and they feared before the Philistines.

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 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry to the Lord your God for us, and he shall save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

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

9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it up as a whole burnt offering with all the people to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.

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 And Samuel was offering the whole burnt offering; and the Philistines drew near to war against Israel; and the Lord thundered with a mighty sound in that day upon the Philistines, and they were confounded and overthrown before Israel.

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 And the men of Israel went forth out of Massephath, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them to the parts under Baethchor.

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

12 And Samuel took a stone, and set it up between Massephath and the old [city]; and he called the name of it Abenezer, stone of the helper; and he said, Hitherto has the Lord helped us.

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 So the Lord humbled the Philistines, and they did not anymore come into the border of Israel; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

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 And the cities which the Philistines took from the children of Israel were restored; and they restored them to Israel from Ascalon to Azob: and they took the coast of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines; and there was peace between Israel and the Amorite.

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 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

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

16 And he went year by year, and went round Baethel, and Galgala, and Massephath; and he judged Israel in all these consecrated places.

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

17 And his return was to Armathaim, because there was his house; and there he judged Israel, and built there an altar to the Lord.

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.