I Samuelis 7
1 Venerunt ergo viri Cariathiarim, et reduxerunt arcam Domini, et intulerunt eam in domum Abinadab in Gabaa: Eleazarum autem filium eius sanctificaverunt, ut custodiret arcam Domini.
[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 Et factum est, ex qua die mansit arca Domini in Cariathiarim, multiplicati sunt dies (erat quippe iam annus vigesimus) et requievit omnis domus Israel post Dominum.
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 Ait autem Samuel ad universam domum Israel, dicens: Si in toto corde vestro revertimini ad Dominum, auferte deos alienos de medio vestri, Baalim et Astaroth: et præparate corda vestra Domino, et servite ei soli, et eruet vos de manu Philisthiim.
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 Abstulerunt ergo filii Israel Baalim et Astaroth, et servierunt Domino soli.
So the Israelis got rid of all their statues of the gods Baal and Astarte, and they worshiped only Yahweh.
5 Dixit autem Samuel: Congregate universum Israel in Masphath, ut orem pro vobis Dominum.
Then Samuel told them, “All you Israeli people must gather with me at Mizpah. Then I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
6 Et convenerunt in Masphath: hauseruntque aquam, et effuderunt in conspectu Domini, et ieiunaverunt in die illa, atque dixerunt ibi: Peccavimus Domino. Iudicavitque Samuel filios Israel in Masphath.
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 Et audierunt Philisthiim quod congregati essent filii Israel in Masphath, et ascenderunt satrapæ Philisthinorum ad Israel. Quod cum audissent filii Israel, timuerunt a facie Philisthinorum.
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 Dixeruntque ad Samuelem: Ne cesses pro nobis clamare ad Dominum Deum nostrum, ut salvet nos de manu Philisthinorum.
They told Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh to rescue us from the Philistia army [MTY], and do not stop pleading!”
9 Tulit autem Samuel agnum lactentem unum, et obtulit illum holocaustum integrum Domino: et clamavit Samuel ad Dominum pro Israel, et exaudivit eum Dominus.
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 Factum est autem, cum Samuel offerret holocaustum, Philisthiim iniere prœlium contra Israel: intonuit autem Dominus fragore magno in die illa super Philisthiim, et exterruit eos, et cæsi sunt a facie Israel.
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 Egressique viri Israel de Masphath persecuti sunt Philisthæos, et percusserunt eos usque ad locum, qui erat subter Bethchar.
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 Tulit autem Samuel lapidem unum, et posuit eum inter Masphath et inter Sen: et vocavit nomen loci illius, Lapis Adiutorii. Dixitque: Hucusque auxiliatus est nobis Dominus.
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 Et humiliati sunt Philisthiim, nec apposuerunt ultra ut venirent in terminos Israel. Facta est itaque manus Domini super Philisthæos, cunctis diebus Samuelis.
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 Et redditæ sunt urbes, quas tulerant Philisthiim ab Israel, Israeli, ab Accaron usque Geth, et terminos suos: liberavitque Israel de manu Philisthinorum, eratque pax inter Israel et Amorrhæum.
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 Iudicabat quoque Samuel Israelem cunctis diebus vitæ suæ:
Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israeli people until he died.
16 et ibat per singulos annos circuiens Bethel et Galgala et Masphath, et iudicabat Israelem in supradictis locis.
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 Revertebaturque in Ramatha: ibi enim erat domus eius, et ibi iudicabat Israelem: ædificavit etiam ibi altare Domino.
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.
