< 1 Samuel 7 >

1 [When] the men of Kiriath-Jearim [received that message, they] came to Beth-Shemesh and took the sacred chest of Yahweh. They took it to the house of Abinadab, which was on a hillside. They appointed Abinadab’s son Eleazar to take care of the chest.
Dia tonga teo ny mponina tao Kiriata-jearima ka nitondra ny fiaran’ i Jehovah niakatra, dia nitondra azy ho ao an-tranon’ i Abinadaba teo an-kavoana, ary nanamasina an’ i Eleazara zanany mba hitandrina ny fiaran’ i Jehovah izy.
2 The sacred chest stayed in Kiriath-Jearim for a long time—a total of 20 years. During that time all the people of Israel mourned [because it seemed that] Yahweh [had abandoned them] (OR, [and then they asked] Yahweh [to help them]).
Ary hatramin’ izany andro izany dia nitoetra ela tany Kiriata-jearima ny fiaran’ i Jehovah, dia roa-polo taona; ary ny taranak’ Isiraely rehetra nalahelo an’ i Jehovah.
3 Then Samuel said to all the Israeli people, “If you truly [IDM] want to act like Yahweh’s people should, you must get rid of your statues of [the goddess] Astarte and the idols/statues of all the other foreign gods. You must decide to serve/worship only Yahweh. If you do that, he will rescue you from [the power of] [MTY] the Philistia people.”
Ary hoy Samoela tamin’ ny taranak’ Isiraely rehetra: Raha miverina amin’ i Jehovah amin’ ny fonareo rehetra tokoa ary ianareo, dia ario hiala aminareo ny andriamani-kafa sy ireo Astarta, ka ampiomany ny fonareo ho an’ i Jehovah, ary aoka Izy ihany no hotompoinareo, dia hamonjy anareo amin’ ny tanan’ ny Filistina Izy.
4 So the Israelis got rid of all their statues of the gods Baal and Astarte, and they worshiped only Yahweh.
Dia nanary ireo Bala sy Astarta ny Zanak’ Isiraely ka nanompo an’ i Jehovah irery ihany.
5 Then Samuel told them, “All you Israeli people must gather with me at Mizpah. Then I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
Ary hoy Samoela: Vorio ny Isiraely rehetra ho any Mizpa, dia hivavaka amin’ i Jehovah ho anareo aho.
6 So they gathered at Mizpah, which was the town where Samuel previously was the leader of the Israeli people. They had a big ceremony there. They drew water [from a well], and poured the water on the ground while Yahweh watched. [To show that they were sorry for having worshiped idols], they did not eat any food on that day, and they confessed that they had sinned against Yahweh.
Dia nivory tany Mizpa izy ary nanovo rano ka nandraraka izany teo anatrehan’ i Jehovah, sady nifady hanina tamin’ izany andro izany izy ka nanao hoe: Efa nanota tamin’ i Jehovah isika. Ary Samoela nitsara ny Zanak’ Isiraely tany Mizpa.
7 When the kings of the Philistia area heard that the Israeli people had gathered at Mizpah, they led their armies there to attack the Israelis. When the Israelis found out that the Philistia army was approaching them, they became very afraid.
Ary rehefa ren’ ny Filistina fa efa vory tany Mizpa ny Zanak’ Isiraely, dia niakatra hamely azy ireo andrianan’ ny Filistina. Ary nony nandre izany ny Zanak’ Isiraely, dia raiki-tahotra izy noho ny Filistina.
8 They told Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh to rescue us from the Philistia army [MTY], and do not stop pleading!”
Dia hoy ny Zanak’ Isiraely tamin’ i Samoela: Aza mitsahatra mitaraina amin’ i Jehovah Andriamanitsika ho anay ianao, mba hamonjeny anay amin’ ny tanan’ ny Filistina.
9 So Samuel took a very young lamb [and killed it] and offered it to Yahweh to be a sacrifice that was completely burned [on the altar]. Then he prayed and pleaded that Yahweh [would help] the Israelis, and Yahweh did help them.
Dia naka zanak’ ondry mbola minono Samoela ka nanatitra azy ho fanatitra dorana ho an’ i Jehovah; dia nitaraina tamin’ i Jehovah ho an’ ny Isiraely Samoela, ary nihaino azy Jehovah.
10 While Samuel was burning the offering, the Philistia army came near to attack the Israelis. But Yahweh caused it to thunder very loudly. The soldiers of the Philistia army became very frightened, and then they (became confused/did not know what to do). So the Israelis were able to defeat them.
Ary raha mbola nanatitra ny fanatitra dorana Samoela, dia nanatona ny Filistina hiady amin’ ny Isiraely; fa Jehovah nampikotrokorana mafy tamin’ ny Filistina tamin’ izany andro izany ka nampifanaritaka azy, dia resy teo anoloan’ ny Isiraely izy.
11 The Israeli men ran out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistia soldiers almost to Beth-Car [town], and killed many Philistia soldiers while they were trying to run away.
Ary ny lehilahy amin’ ny Isiraely niala tany Mizpa, dia nanenjika ny Filistina ka namely azy mandra-pahatongany teo ambanin’ i Beti-kara.
12 After that happened, Samuel took a large stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah [towns]. He named the stone ‘Ebenezer’, [which means ‘stone of help’], because he said “Yahweh has helped us until the present time.”
Ary Samoela naka vato ka nanorina azy teo anelanelan’ i Mizpa sy Sena, ary ny anarany nataony hoe Ebenezera; fa hoy izy: Efa novonjen’ i Jehovah isika hatramin’ izao.
13 So the Philistia people were defeated, and for a long time they did not enter the Israeli land [to attack them] again. During the time that Samuel was alive, Yahweh powerfully protected [MTY] [the Israeli people] from [being attacked by] the Philistia army.
Dia resy ny Filistina ka tsy tafiditra teo anatin’ ny fari-tanin’ ny Isiraely intsony; ary ny tànan’ i Jehovah namely ny Filistina tamin’ ny andro rehetra niainan’ i Samoela.
14 The Israeli army was able to capture again the Israeli villages between Ekron and Gath that the Philistia army had captured before. The Israelis were also able to take again the other areas around those cities that the Philistia army had taken [from the Israelis] previously. And there was peace between the Israelis and the Amor people-group.
Ary ny tanàna izay efa nalain’ ny Filistina tamin’ ny Isiraely dia azon’ ny Isiraely indray, hatrany Ekrona ka hatrany Gata; ary ny faritanin’ ireo dia nalain’ ny Isiraely tamin’ ny tanan’ ny Filistina koa. Ary nihavana ny Isiraely sy ny Amorita.
15 Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israeli people until he died.
Ary Samoela nitsara ny Isiraely tamin’ ny andro rehetra niainany.
16 As long as he was alive, every year he traveled back and forth between Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah [cities]. In those cities he listened to disputes between people and made decisions about them.
Ary nandeha isan-taona isan-taona izy nitety any Betela sy Gilgala ary Mizpa ka nitsara ny Isiraely teo amin’ ireo tanàna rehetra ireo.
17 After he listened to disputes and made decisions in each of those towns, he returned to his home at Ramah, and he would listen to people’s disputes there, also, [and make decisions about them]. And he built an altar at Ramah [to offer sacrifices] to Yahweh.
Dia niverina ho any Rama indray izy, fa tao ny tranony; ary nitsara ny Isiraely tao izy sady nanorina alitara tao ho an’ i Jehovah.

< 1 Samuel 7 >