1 Samuel 7

1 Da kamen die Männer von Kirjat Jearim, holten die Lade des Herrn hinauf und brachten sie ins Haus Abinadabs auf dem Hügel. Seinen Sohn Eleazar aber bestimmten sie dazu, die Lade des Herrn zu hüten.

[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.

2 Von dem Tage an, da die Lade in Kirjat Jearim blieb, verging eine lange Zeit. Zwanzig Jahre wurden es, und das ganze Haus Israel klagte vor dem Herrn.

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]).

3 Da sprach Samuel zu dem ganzen Volke Israel also: "Wollt ihr von ganzem Herzen zum Herrn zurückkehren, dann schafft die Götter der Fremde aus eurer Mitte, ebenso die Astarten! Richtet euer Herz auf den Herrn und dient ihm allein! Und er entreißt euch der Philister Hand."

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.”

4 Da entfernten Israels Söhne die Baale und Astarten und dienten allein dem Herrn.

So the Israelis got rid of all their statues of the gods Baal and Astarte, and they worshiped only Yahweh.

5 Da sprach Samuel: "Versammelt ganz Israel nach der Mispa! Dann bete ich für euch zum Herrn."

Then Samuel told them, “All you Israeli people must gather with me at Mizpah. Then I will pray to Yahweh for you.”

6 Da versammelten sie sich auf der Mispa, schöpften Wasser, gossen es vor den Herrn, fasteten an jenem Tag und sprachen dort: "Wir haben gegen den Herrn gesündigt." Und Samuel richtete Israel auf der Mispa.

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.

7 Die Philister aber hörten, daß sich Israels Söhne auf der Mispa versammelt hatten. Da zogen die Philisterfürsten gegen Israel. Als dies die Söhne Israels hörten, fürchteten sie sich vor den Philistern.

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.

8 Und die Söhne Israels sprachen zu Samuel: "Höre nicht auf, für uns zum Herrn, unserem Gott, zu flehen, daß er uns aus der Philister Hand helfe!"

They told Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh to rescue us from the Philistia army [MTY], and do not stop pleading!”

9 Da nahm Samuel ein Milchlamm und brachte es dem Herrn als ganzes Brandopfer dar. Und Samuel flehte zum Herrn für Israel, und der Herr erhörte ihn.

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.

10 Und Samuel brachte eben das Brandopfer dar. Da griffen die Philister Israel an. Der Herr aber donnerte mit gewaltigem Schalle an jenem Tage gegen die Philister und verwirrte sie, und sie wurden von Israel geschlagen.

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.

11 Da rückten die Männer Israels von der Mispa aus, verfolgten die Philister und schlugen sie bis unterhalb Betkar.

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.

12 Da nahm Samuel einen Stein, stellte ihn zwischen der Mispa und der Spitze auf und nannte ihn "Stein der Hilfe". Er sprach: "Bis hierher hat der Herr geholfen."

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.”

13 So wurden die Philister gebeugt. Und sie kamen fernerhin nicht mehr in Israels Gebiet. Die Hand des Herrn lag auf den Philistern, solange Samuel lebte.

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.

14 Die Städte aber, die die Philister Israel abgenommen hatten, kamen wieder an Israel, von Ekron bis Gat. Auch ihr Gebiet entriß Israel der Hand der Philister. Ebenso ward Friede zwischen Israel und dem Amoriter.

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.

15 Und Samuel richtete alle Tage seines Lebens Israel.

Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israeli people until he died.

16 Jahr für Jahr nämlich war er umhergewandert und hatte die Runde gemacht über Betel, das Gilgal und die Mispa. An all diesen Orten hatte er Israel gerichtet.

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.

17 Seine Heimstatt aber war auf der Rama; denn dort war sein Haus, und dort richtete er Israel. Er baute auch dort dem Herrn einen Altar.

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.