I Samuelis 7
1 venerunt ergo viri Cariathiarim et duxerunt 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 in Cariathiarim multiplicati sunt dies erat quippe iam annus vicesimus et requievit omnis domus Israhel 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 Samuhel ad universam domum Israhel dicens si in toto corde vestro revertimini ad Dominum auferte deos alienos de medio vestrum et Astharoth et praeparate corda vestra Domino et servite ei soli et eruet vos de manu Philisthim
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 Israhel Baalim et Astharoth 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 Samuhel congregate universum Israhel in Masphat 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 Masphat hauseruntque aquam et effuderunt in conspectu Domini et ieiunaverunt in die illa et dixerunt ibi peccavimus Domino iudicavitque Samuhel filios Israhel in Masphat
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 Philisthim quod congregati essent filii Israhel in Masphat et ascenderunt satrapae Philisthinorum ad Israhel quod cum audissent filii Israhel 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 Samuhel 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 Samuhel agnum lactantem unum et obtulit illum holocaustum integrum Domino et clamavit Samuhel ad Dominum pro Israhel 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 ergo cum Samuhel offerret holocaustum Philistheos inire proelium contra Israhel intonuit autem Dominus fragore magno in die illa super Philisthim et exterruit eos et caesi sunt a filiis Israhel
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 Israhel de Masphat persecuti sunt Philistheos 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 Samuhel lapidem unum et posuit eum inter Masphat et inter Sen et vocavit nomen eius 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 Philisthim nec adposuerunt ultra ut venirent in terminos Israhel facta est itaque manus Domini super Philistheos cunctis diebus Samuhel
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 redditae sunt urbes quas tulerant Philisthim ab Israhel Israheli ab Accaron usque Geth et terminos suos liberavit Israhel de manu Philisthinorum eratque pax inter Israhel et Amorreum
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 Samuhel Israhel cunctis diebus vitae suae
Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israeli people until he died.
16 et ibat per singulos annos circumiens Bethel et Galgal et Masphat et iudicabat Israhelem 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 Israhelem aedificavit 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.
