1 Samuel 7

1 [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.

And they came [the] people of - Kiriath Jearim and they took up [the] ark of Yahweh and they brought it to [the] house of Abinadab on the hill and Eleazar son his they consecrated to keep [the] ark of Yahweh.

2 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]).

And it was from [the] day dwelt the ark at Kiriath Jearim and they increased the days and they were twenty year[s] and they mourned all [the] house of Israel after Yahweh.

3 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.”

And he said Samuel to all [the] house of Israel saying if with all heart your you [are] turning back to Yahweh remove [the] gods of foreignness from among you and the Ashtaroth and direct heart your to Yahweh and serve him to only him so may he deliver you from [the] hand of [the] Philistines.

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

And they removed [the] people of Israel the Baals and the Ashtaroth and they served Yahweh to only him.

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

And he said Samuel gather all Israel Mizpah towards so I may pray for you to Yahweh.

6 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.

And they gathered together Mizpah towards and they drew water and they poured [it] out - before Yahweh and they fasted on the day that and they said there we have sinned to Yahweh and he judged Samuel [the] people of Israel at Mizpah.

7 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.

And they heard [the] Philistines that they had gathered together [the] people of Israel Mizpah towards and they went up [the] rulers of [the] Philistines against Israel and they heard [the] people of Israel and they were afraid of [the] Philistines.

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

And they said [the] people of Israel to Samuel may not you keep silent from us from crying out to Yahweh God our so he may deliver us from [the] hand of [the] Philistines.

9 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.

And he took Samuel a lamb of milk one (and he offered up it *QK) a burnt offering a whole offering to Yahweh and he cried out Samuel to Yahweh for Israel and he answered him Yahweh.

10 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.

And he was Samuel offering up the burnt offering and [the] Philistines they drew near for battle in Israel and he thundered Yahweh - with a sound great on the day that on [the] Philistines and he routed them and they were defeated before Israel.

11 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.

And they went out [the] men of Israel from Mizpah and they pursued [the] Philistines and they struck down them to from below to Beth Car.

12 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.”

And he took Samuel a stone one and he put [it] between Mizpah and between Shen and he called name its Eben-ezer and he said until now he has helped us Yahweh.

13 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.

And they were subdued the Philistines and not they repeated again to come in [the] territory of Israel and it was [the] hand of Yahweh on the Philistines all [the] days of Samuel.

14 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.

And they went back the cities which they had taken [the] Philistines from with Israel - to Israel from Ekron and to Gath and territory their he delivered Israel from [the] hand of [the] Philistines and it was peace between Israel and between the Amorite[s].

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

And he judged Samuel Israel all [the] days of life his.

16 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.

And he went as often as a year in a year and he went round Beth-el and Gilgal and Mizpah and he judged Israel all the places these.

17 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.

And return his [was] Ramah towards for [was] there house his and there he judged Israel and he built there an altar to Yahweh.