1 ARST When the men of Kiriath Jearim received the message, they came to Bethshemesh and took the sacred chest of Yahweh. They took it to the house of Abinadab, which was on a hillside. They set apart Abinadab’ s son Eleazar to take care of the chest. BSB BSB: Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD.
2 ARST The sacred chest stayed in Kiriath Jearim for a long time. It stayed there for twenty years. During that time all the people of Israel mourned because it seemed that Yahweh had abandoned them, and they wanted to turn to him for help again. BSB BSB: And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mournfully sought the LORD.
3 ARST Then Samuel said to all the Israelite people,“If you truly want to honor Yahweh again, you must get rid of your statues of the goddess Ashtoreth and the idols of all the other foreign gods. You must decide to serve only Yahweh. If you do that, he will rescue you from the oppression of the Philistia people.” BSB BSB: Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 ARST So the Israelites got rid of all their statues of the gods Baal and Ashtoreth, and they began to worship only Yahweh. BSB BSB: So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD.
5 ARST Then Samuel told them,“All you Israelite people must gather with me at Mizpah. Then I will pray to Yahweh for you.” BSB BSB: Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.”
6 ARST So they gathered at Mizpah, where Samuel acted as leader for the people of Israel. They had a big ceremony there. They fetched 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. BSB BSB: When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
7 ARST When the kings of the region of Philistia heard that the Israelite people had gathered at Mizpah, they led their armies there to attack the Israelites. When the Israelites found out that the Philistine army was approaching them, they became very afraid. BSB BSB: When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines
8 ARST They told Samuel,“Pray to Yahweh to rescue us from the Philistine army, and do not stop pleading with him!” BSB BSB: and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 ARST 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 Israelites, and Yahweh did help them. BSB BSB: Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.
10 ARST While Samuel was burning the offering, the Philistine army came near to attack the Israelites. But Yahweh caused it to thunder very loudly. The men of the Philistine army became very frightened, and then they panicked. So the Israelites were able to drive them back completely. BSB BSB: As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
11 ARST The Israelite men ran out of Mizpah and chased the Philistine soldiers almost to the town of Beth Kar. They killed many Philistine soldiers who were trying to run away. BSB BSB: Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car.
12 ARST After that happened, Samuel took a large stone and set it up between the towns of Mizpah and Shen. He named the stone“Ebenezer,” which means“stone of help,” because he said“Yahweh has helped us until the present time.” BSB BSB: Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
13 ARST So the Philistine people were defeated, and for a long time they did not enter the Israelite land to attack them again. During the time that Samuel was alive, Yahweh powerfully protected the Israelite people from being attacked by the Philistine army. BSB BSB: So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 ARST The Israelite army was able to capture again the Israelite towns between Ekron and Gath that the Philistine army had captured before. The Israelites were also able to take again the other areas around those cities that the Philistine army had taken from the Israelites previously. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amor people group. BSB BSB: The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites.
15 ARST Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israelite people until he died. BSB BSB: So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 ARST Every year he traveled among the cities of Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah. In those cities he listened to disputes between people and made decisions about them. BSB BSB: Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places.
17 ARST After he made decisions in each of those cities, he returned to his home at Ramah, and he would listen to people’ s disputes there, also, and make decisions about them. He built an altar at Ramah to offer sacrifices to Yahweh. BSB BSB: Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.
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