1 Samuel 7

1 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the LORD’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the LORD’s ark.

克黎雅特耶阿陵人遂下來，將上主的約櫃抬上去，送到住在丘嶺上的阿彼納達布家裏，並且祝聖他的兒子厄肋阿匝爾，看守上主的約櫃。

2 From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

自從約櫃停放在克黎雅特耶阿陵的那天起，過了很長的時間，大約二十年之久，以色列全家又歸向上主。

3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the LORD, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

那時撒慕爾對以色列全家說：「如果你們全心歸向上主，就該將外邦的神由你們中間剷除，一心歸向上主，惟獨事奉上主，他必由培肋舍特人手中解救你們。」

4 Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

以色列子民遂剷除了巴耳和阿市托勒特，唯獨事奉上主。

5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.”

於是撒慕爾說：「你們把全以色列聚集在米茲帕，我要為你們懇求上主。」

6 They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

他們便集在米茲帕，汲了水來，倒在上主面前，並且在那一天禁食說：「我們犯了罪，得罪了上主! 」從此撒慕爾在米茲帕治理以色列子民。

7 When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

培肋舍特人一聽說以色列子民聚集在米茲帕，培肋舍特的酋長就上來攻打以色列，以色列子民聽說培肋舍特人前來，大為震驚，

8 The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying to the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”

對撒慕爾說：「你不要停止為我們哀求上主，我們的天主，好叫他救我們脫離培肋舍特人的威脅。」

9 Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.

撒慕爾遂拿了一隻還在吃奶的羔羊獻給上主，作全燔祭，為以色列呼籲上主，上主應允了他。

10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.

當撒慕爾正在奉獻全燔祭時，培肋舍特人前來，要與以色列交戰；但上主在那一天使雷聲向著培肋舍特人大作，恐嚇他們，他們就在以色列面前潰退了。

11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them until they came under Beth Kar.

以色列人遂從米茲帕出來追擊培肋舍特人，擊殺他們直到貝特加爾下邊。

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “The LORD helped us until now.”

以後，撒慕爾取了一塊石頭，豎立在米茲帕與耶撒納中間，給那石起名叫厄本厄則爾，說：「直到這時上主救助了我們。」

13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. The LORD’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

培肋舍特人受了這次挫折以後，不敢再來侵犯以色列的邊境；撒慕爾活著時，上主的手常壓制了培肋舍特人。

14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

培肋舍特人由以色列奪去的城市，自厄刻龍直到加特，都歸還了以色列人；以色列人由培肋舍特人手中收復了自己的領土；在那時以色列和阿摩黎人之間平安無事。

15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

撒慕爾一生做了以色列的民長。

16 He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.

他每年去視察貝特耳、基耳加耳和米茲帕，在這些地方治理以色列人。

17 His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to the LORD there.

以後他回到辣瑪，因為他的家在那裏，他也在那裏治理以色列人，並在那裏給上主建了一座祭壇。