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1 Samuel 7
New English Translation

7 Then the people[a] of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord; they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.

Further Conflict with the Philistines

2 It was quite a long time—some twenty years in all—that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people[b] of Israel longed for[c] the Lord. 3 Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth.[d] Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you[e] from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites[f] removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the Lord.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 6 After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed[g] there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led[h] the people of Israel at Mizpah.

7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep[i] crying out to the Lord our[j] God so that he may save us[k] from the hand of the Philistines!” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb[l] and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

10 As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel.[m] But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by[n] Israel. 11 Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.

12 Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen.[o] He named it Ebenezer,[p] saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.” 13 So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14 The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control[q] of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. 15 So Samuel led[r] Israel all the days of his life. 16 Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged[s] Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:1 tn Heb “men.”
  2. 1 Samuel 7:2 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
  3. 1 Samuel 7:2 tn Heb “mourned after”; NIV “mourned and sought after”; KJV, NRSV “lamented after”; NAB “turned to”; NCV “began to follow…again.”
  4. 1 Samuel 7:3 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural; also in the following verse). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. The presence of Ashtarot in Israel is a sign of pervasive pagan and idolatrous influences; hence Samuel calls for their removal. See 1 Sam 31:10, where the Philistines deposit the armor of the deceased Saul in the temple of the Ashtarot, and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13, where Solomon is faulted for worshiping the Ashtarot.
  5. 1 Samuel 7:3 tn Following imperatives, the jussive verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
  6. 1 Samuel 7:4 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
  7. 1 Samuel 7:6 tn Heb “said.”
  8. 1 Samuel 7:6 tn Heb “judged”; NAB “began to judge”; TEV “settled disputes among.”
  9. 1 Samuel 7:8 tn Heb “don’t stop.”
  10. 1 Samuel 7:8 tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”
  11. 1 Samuel 7:8 tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
  12. 1 Samuel 7:9 tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.”
  13. 1 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”
  14. 1 Samuel 7:10 tn Heb “before.”
  15. 1 Samuel 7:12 tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.”
  16. 1 Samuel 7:12 sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
  17. 1 Samuel 7:14 tn Heb “hand.”
  18. 1 Samuel 7:15 tn Heb “judged” (also in v. 17).
  19. 1 Samuel 7:17 tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”).
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1 Samuel 7
New King James Version

Israel Defeats the Philistines

7 Then the men of (A)Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of (B)Abinadab on the hill, and (C)consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you (D)return to the Lord with all your hearts, then (E)put away the foreign gods and the (F)Ashtoreths[a] from among you, and (G)prepare your hearts for the Lord, and (H)serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the children of Israel put away the (I)Baals and the [b]Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 And Samuel said, (J)“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and (K)I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, (L)drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they (M)fasted that day, and said there, (N)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, (O)“Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9 And Samuel took a (P)suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then (Q)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. (R)But the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and [c]drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel (S)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name [d]Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13 (T)So the Philistines were subdued, and they (U)did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 And Samuel (V)judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 But (W)he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he (X)built an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:3 Images of Canaanite goddesses
  2. 1 Samuel 7:4 Images of Canaanite goddesses
  3. 1 Samuel 7:11 struck them down
  4. 1 Samuel 7:12 Lit. Stone of Help
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1 Samuel 7
English Standard Version

7 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of (A)Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. 2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, (B)“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then (C)put away the foreign gods and the (D)Ashtaroth from among you and (E)direct your heart to the Lord (F)and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at (G)Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered at (H)Mizpah (I)and drew water and poured it out before the Lord (J)and fasted on that day and said there, (K)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. 7 Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And (L)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. (M)But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel (N)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a] and called its name Ebenezer;[b] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 (O)So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

15 (P)Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would return to (Q)Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. (R)And he built there an altar to the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:12 Hebrew; Septuagint, Syriac Jeshanah
  2. 1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help
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