1 Samuel 7

1 And the men of Kirjath-Jearim come and bring up the Ark of YHWH, and bring it into the house of Abinadab, in the height, and they have sanctified his son Eleazar to keep the Ark of YHWH.

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.

2 And it comes to pass, from the day of the dwelling of the Ark in Kirjath-Jearim, that the days are multiplied—indeed, they are twenty years—and all the house of Israel wails after YHWH.

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.

3 And Samuel speaks to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are turning back to YHWH with all your heart—turn aside the gods of the stranger from your midst, and Ashtaroth; and prepare your heart for YHWH, and serve Him only, and He delivers you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If ye 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.

4 And the sons of Israel turn aside the Ba‘alim and Ashtaroth, and serve YHWH alone;

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

5 and Samuel says, “Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I pray to YHWH for you.”

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

6 And they are gathered to Mizpeh, and draw water, and pour out before YHWH, and fast on that day, and say there, “We have sinned against YHWH”; and Samuel judges the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

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.

7 And the Philistines hear that the sons of Israel have gathered themselves to Mizpeh; and the princes of the Philistines go up against Israel, and the sons of Israel hear, and are afraid of the presence of the Philistines.

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.

8 And the sons of Israel say to Samuel, “Do not keep silent for us from crying to our God YHWH, and He saves us out of the hand of the Philistines.”

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

9 And Samuel takes a fat lamb, and causes it to go up—a whole burnt-offering to YHWH; and Samuel cries to YHWH for Israel, and YHWH answers him;

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.

10 and Samuel is causing the burnt-offering to go up—and the Philistines have drawn near to battle against Israel—and YHWH thunders with a great noise, on that day, on the Philistines, and troubles them, and they are struck before Israel.

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.

11 And the men of Israel go out from Mizpeh, and pursue the Philistines, and strike them to the place of Beth-Car.

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

12 And Samuel takes a stone, and sets [it] between Mizpeh and Shen, and calls its name Eben-Ezer, saying, “Until now YHWH has helped us.”

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.

13 And the Philistines are humbled, and have not added anymore to come into the border of Israel, and the hand of YHWH is on the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

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.

14 And the cities which the Philistines have taken from Israel are restored to Israel—from Ekron even to Gath—and Israel has delivered their border out of the hand of the Philistines; and there is peace between Israel and the Amorite.

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.

15 And Samuel judges Israel all the days of his life,

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

16 and he has gone from year to year, and gone around Beth-El, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel [in] all these places;

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

17 and his returning [is] to Ramath, for his house [is] there, and he has judged Israel there, and he builds an altar to YHWH there.

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