1 Samwiri 7
1 Awo abantu b’e Kiriyasuyalimu ne bajja ne baddukira essanduuko ya Mukama, ne bagitwala mu nnyumba ya Abinadaabu ku lusozi. Ne bayawula Eriyazaali mutabani we okuvunaanyizibwa essanduuko ya Mukama.
[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 Essanduuko n’emala mu Kiriyasuyalimu ebbanga ddene, eryawerera ddala emyaka amakumi abiri, era abantu b’ennyumba ya Isirayiri bonna baali banakuwavu era nga banoonya Mukama.
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 Awo Samwiri n’agamba ennyumba ya Isirayiri yonna nti, “Obanga mudda eri Mukama n’omutima gumu, muggyeewo bakatonda abagwira ne Baasutoleesi, mmweweeyo eri Mukama gwe muba muweerezanga yekka, era anaabalokola okuva mu mukono gw’Abafirisuuti.”
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 Awo Abayisirayiri ne bava ku Babaali ne Baasutoleesi, ne baweerezanga Mukama yekka.
So the Israelis got rid of all their statues of the gods Baal and Astarte, and they worshiped only Yahweh.
5 Samwiri n’ayogera nti, “Mukuŋŋaanye Isirayiri yenna e Mizupa, mbegayiririre eri Mukama.”
Then Samuel told them, “All you Israeli people must gather with me at Mizpah. Then I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
6 Bwe baali bakuŋŋaanidde e Mizupa, ne basena amazzi, ne bagayirira mu maaso ga Mukama, ne basiiba era ne baatula ebibi byabwe nga boogera nti, “Twonoonye eri Mukama.” Olwo Samwiri nga ye mukulembeze era omulamuzi wa Isirayiri e Mizupa.
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 Awo Abafirisuuti bwe baawulira nga Abayisirayiri bakuŋŋaanidde e Mizupa, abafuzi b’Abafirisuuti ne babalumba. Abayisirayiri bwe baakiwulira ne batya Abafirisuuti.
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 Ne bagamba Samwiri nti, “Tolekeraawo kutukaabiririra eri Mukama Katonda waffe, atulokole okuva mu mukono gw’Abafirisuuti.”
They told Samuel, “Pray to Yahweh to rescue us from the Philistia army [MTY], and do not stop pleading!”
9 Awo Samwiri n’addira omwana gw’endiga oguyonka n’aguwaayo ng’ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa eri Mukama, n’akaabirira Mukama ku lwa Isirayiri, Mukama n’amuddamu.
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 Ku lunaku olwo Samwiri bwe yali ng’awaayo ekiweebwayo ekyokebwa eri Mukama, Abafirisuuti ne basembera okulwanyisa Isirayiri, naye Mukama n’abwatuka okubwatuka okw’amaanyi, Abafirisuuti ne batya nnyo, era ne badduka Abayisirayiri.
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 Abasajja Abayisirayiri ne bava e Mizupa ne bagoba Abafirisuuti, ne bagenda nga babatta okutuukira ddala ku Besukali.
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 Awo Samwiri n’addira ejjinja n’aliteeka wakati wa Mizupa ne Seni, ekifo ekyo n’akituuma Ebenezeri, ng’agamba nti, “Mukama atuyambye okutuusa kaakano.”
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 Abafirisuuti ne bawangulwa, ne bataddayo nate kulumba Isirayiri. Era ennaku zonna eza Samwiri, omukono gwa Mukama ne gunyigiriza Abafirisuuti.
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 Abayisirayiri ne beddiza ebibuga byonna Abafirisuuti bye baali babawambyeko okuva mu Ekulooni okutuuka e Gaasi, ate era Isirayiri n’anunula ebitundu ebyali biriraanyeewo okuva mu buyinza bw’Abafirisuuti. Ne waba okutabagana wakati wa Isirayiri n’Abamoli.
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 Samwiri n’alamula era n’afuga Isirayiri ennaku zonna ez’obulamu bwe.
Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israeli people until he died.
16 Buli mwaka n’agendanga e Beseri, n’e Girugaali n’e Mizupa mu mpalo ng’alamula Isirayiri mu bifo ebyo byonna.
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 N’oluvannyuma yakomangawo e Laama, amaka ge gye gaabeeranga, nayo n’alamulirayo Isirayiri. N’azimbirayo Mukama ekyoto.
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.
