Chronological
4 And the davar Shmuel came to kol Yisroel. Now Yisroel went out to meet in milchamah the Pelishtim (Philistines), and encamped at Even-Ezer; and the Pelishtim (Philistines) encamped at Aphek.
2 And the Pelishtim (Philistines) put themselves in array to meet Yisroel [in battle]; and when the milchamah spread, Yisroel was defeated before the Pelishtim; and they slaughtered on the ma’arakhah (battleground) in the sadeh about arba’at alafim ish (four thousand men).
3 And when HaAm were come into the machaneh, the Ziknei Yisroel said, Why hath Hashem defeated us today before the Pelishtim (Philistines)? Let us bring the Aron Brit Hashem out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the palm of oyeveinu (our enemies).
4 So HaAm sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the Aron Brit Hashem Tzva’os, Who dwelleth between the keruvim; and the two Bnei Eli, Chophni and Pinchas, were there with the Aron Brit HaElohim.
5 And when the Aron Brit Hashem came into the machaneh, kol Yisroel shouted with a teru’ah gedolah, so that ha’aretz shook.
6 And when the Pelishtim (Philistines) heard the kol hateruah, they said, What meaneth kol hateruah hagedolah hazot in the machaneh HaIvrit? And they understood that the Aron Hashem was come into the machaneh.
7 And the Pelishtim (Philistines) were afraid, for they said, elohim is come into the machaneh. And they said, Oy lanu! For there hath not been such a thing as this heretofore.
8 Oy lanu! Who shall save us out of the yad of these elohim ha’adirim (mighty g-ds)? These are the g-ds that struck the Mitzrayim with kol makkah (all the plagues) in the midbar.
9 Be strong and conduct yourselves like anashim, O ye Pelishtim (Philistines), that ye be not avadim unto the Ivrim (Hebrews), as they have been subject to you; conduct yourselves like anashim, and fight.
10 And the Pelishtim fought, and Yisroel was defeated, and they fled every ish into his ohel; and there was makkah gedolah me’od (a very great slaughter); for there fell of Yisroel shloshim elef foot soldiers.
11 And the Aron Elohim was captured; and the two Bnei Eli, Chophni and Pinchas, died.
12 And there ran an ish of Binyamin out of the ma’arakhah (battleground), and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn, and with adamah upon his rosh.
13 And when he arrived, hinei, Eli sat upon a kisse by the side of the derech, watching; for his lev anxiously trembled for the Aron HaElohim. And when the ish came into the Ir [of Shiloh], and told it, kol HaIr cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the ish came in hastily, and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were kamah (set, stiff, fixed motionless), that he could not see.
16 And the ish said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the ma’arakhah (battleground), and I fled today from the ma’arakhah. And he said, What happened there, beni?
17 And the mevaser (herald, bringer of news, bearer of tidings, evangelist) answered and said, Yisroel is fled before the Pelishtim, and there hath been also a magefah gedolah among HaAm, and thy two banim also, Chophni and Pinchas, are dead, and the Aron HaElohim is captured.
18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the Aron HaElohim, that he fell from off the kisse backward by the side of the sha’ar, and his neck was broken, and he died; for the ish was zaken (old) and kaved (heavy). And he had judged Yisroel arba’im shanah.
19 And his kallah (daughter-in-law), eshet Pinchas, was with child, near to be delivered; and when she heard the tidings that the Aron HaElohim was captured, and that her kham (woman’s father-in-law) and her ish were dead, she fell upon her knees in labor and gave birth; for her labor pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her mot (death) the attending women said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born ben. But she answered not, neither did her lev pay attention.
21 And she named the na’ar Ichavod [Inglorious], saying, The kavod is departed from Yisroel; because the Aron HaElohim is captured, and because of her kham (woman’s father-in-law) and her ish.
22 And she said, The kavod is departed from Yisroel; for the Aron HaElohim is captured.
5 And the Pelishtim (Philistines) captured the Aron HaElohim, and brought it from Even HaEzer unto Ashdod.
2 When the Pelishtim (Philistines) took the Aron HaElohim, they brought it into the Bais Dagon, and set it beside Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod arose early the next day, hinei, Dagon was fallen upon his face on the ground before the Aron Hashem. And they took Dagon, and returned him to his makom.
4 And when they arose baboker on the next day, hinei, Dagon was fallen upon his face on the ground before the Aron Hashem; and the rosh Dagon and both the kapot (palms) of his hands were cut off upon the miftan (threshold); only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.
5 Therefore neither the kohanim of Dagon, nor any that enter Bais Dagon, tread on the miftan (threshold) of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
6 But the Yad Hashem was heavy upon the Ashdodim, and He brought desolation, and struck them with techorim (tumors), even Ashdod and the vicinity thereof.
7 And when the anshei Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The Aron Elohei Yisroel shall not abide with us; for His Yad is hard upon us, and upon Dagon eloheinu.
8 They sent therefore and gathered all rulers of the Pelishtim (Philistines) unto them, and said, What shall we do with the Aron Elohei Yisroel? And they answered, Let the Aron Elohei Yisroel be brought about unto Gat. And they brought the Aron Elohei Yisroel about to there.
9 And it was so, that, after they had brought it about, the Yad Hashem was against the Ir with a mehumah gedolah me’od (a very great tumult, commotion); and He struck the anshei HaIr, both katon and gadol, so that techorim (tumors) broke out on them.
10 Therefore they sent the Aron HaElohim to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the Aron HaElohim came to Ekron, that the Ekronim cried out, saying, They have brought about the Aron Elohei Yisroel to us, to slay us and our people.
11 So they sent and gathered together all the rulers of the Pelishtim (Philistines), and said, Send away the Aron Elohei Yisroel, and let it return to its own makom, [see 2Chr 6:41], that it slay us not, and our people; for there was a mehumah (tumult, public panic) of mavet (death) throughout kol HaIr; the Yad HaElohim was very heavy there.
12 And the anashim that died not were struck with the techorim (tumors); and the outcry of the Ir went up to Shomayim.
6 And the Aron Hashem was in the teritory of the Pelishtim (Philistines) shivah chodashim.
2 And the Pelishtim (Philistines) called for the [Dagon] kohanim and the kosemim (sorcerers), saying, What shall we do with the Aron Hashem? Tell us wherewith we shall send it to its makom (place).
3 And they said, If ye send away the Aron Elohei Yisroel, send it not away empty; but ye shall surely return to Him an asham (trespass offering); then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why His Yad is not removed from you.
4 Then they said, What shall be the asham (trespass offering) which we shall return to Him? They answered, Five techorim of zahav, and five akhbarim (rats) of zahav, according to the number of rulers of the Pelishtim: for one magefah (plague) was on you all, and on your rulers.
5 So ye shall make tzalmei techorim (likenesses of tumors) of yours, and tzalmei akhabarim (likenesses of rats) of yours, of that which mar the land; and ye shall give kavod unto Elohei Yisroel; perhaps He will lighten His Yad from off you, and from off eloheichem (your g-ds), and from off your land.
6 Now then why do ye harden levavchem, as the Mitzrayim and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not send them away, so that they departed?
7 Now therefore make an agalah chadashah (new cart, wagon), and take two milch [milk-yielding] cows, [i.e., nursing cows] on which there hath come no ol (yoke), and hitch the cows to the agalah, and take their calves home, away from them;
8 And take the Aron Hashem, and lay it upon the agalah; and put the kelei hazahav, which ye send back to Him for an asham (trespass offering), in a box by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9 And see: if it [the Aron Hashem] goeth up by the derech of its own territory [i.e., Eretz Yisroel] toward Beit Shemesh, then He hath done us this ra’ah hagedolah (great disaster); but if not, then we shall know that it is not His Yad that struck us; the evil came upon us mikreh (by chance, by accident).
10 And the anashim did so; and took two milch cows, and hitched them to the agalah, and penned up their calves babayit;
11 And they laid the Aron Hashem upon the agalah, and the box with the akhbarim of zahav and the tzalmei techorim (likenesses of tumors) of theirs.
12 And the cows took the straight derech to the derech Beit Shemesh, and went along the path, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the yamin or to the semol; and the rulers of the Pelishtim went after them as far as the border of Beit Shemesh.
13 And they of Beit Shemesh were kotzerim (harvesting) their ketzir chittim (wheat harvest) in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the Aron, and they rejoiced to see it.
14 And the agalah came into the sadeh of Yehoshua, a man of Beit Shemesh, and stopped there, where there was an even gedolah (a large rock); and they chopped up the wood of the agalah, and offered the cows as an olah (burnt offering) unto Hashem.
15 And the Levi’im took down the Aron Hashem, and the box that was with it, wherein were the kelei zahav, and put them on the even hagedolah (large rock); and the anashim of Beit Shemesh offered olot (burnt offerings) and sacrificed zevakhim (sacrifices) on that day unto Hashem.
16 And when the five rulers of the Pelishtim saw it, they returned to Ekron on that same day.
17 And these are the techorim (tumors) of zahav which the Pelishtim (Philistines) returned for an asham (trespass offering) unto Hashem; for Ashdod one, for Azah (Gaza) one, for Askelon one, for Gat one, for Ekron one;
18 And the akhbarim of zahav, according to the mispar of all the towns of the Pelishtim (Philistines) belonging to the five rulers, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto Avel HaGedolah, whereon they set down the Aron Hashem; it (the even hagedolah [See verse 15]) remaineth unto this day in the sadeh of Yehoshua, the man of Beit Shemesh.
19 And He struck down the anashim of Beit Shemesh, because they had looked into the Aron Hashem [Num 4:20], even He struck down of HaAm shivim ish [and chamishim elef ish]; and HaAm mourned, because Hashem had struck down many of HaAm with a makkah gedolah (a great stroke, blow).
20 And the anashim of Beit Shemesh said, Who is able to stand before Hashem HaElohim HaKadosh Hazeh (Hashem this holy G-d)? And to whom shall He [Hashem dwelling with the Aron Hashem] go up from us?
21 And they sent malachim to the inhabitants of Kiryat Ye’arim saying, The Pelishtim (Philistines) have returned the Aron Hashem; come ye down, and take it up to you.
7 And the anshei Kiryat-Yearim came, and took up the Aron Hashem, and brought it into the bais Avinadav on the givah (hill), and set apart as kodesh El’azar bno to be shomer over the Aron Hashem.
2 And it came to pass, while the Aron abode in Kiryat-Yearim, that the time was long; for it was esrim shanah; and kol Bais Yisroel mourned after Hashem.
3 And Shmuel spoke unto kol Bais Yisroel, saying, If ye do return unto Hashem with all your hearts, put away the elohei hanekhar and Ashtarot from among you, commit your hearts unto Hashem, serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the yad Pelishtim.
4 Then the Bnei Yisroel did put away Baalim and Ashtarot, and served Hashem only.
5 And Shmuel said, Gather kol Yisroel to Mitzpah, and I will make intercessory prayer and daven for you unto Hashem.
6 And they gathered together at Mitzpah, and drew mayim, and poured it out before Hashem, and did a tzom on that day, and said there, We have sinned against Hashem. And Shmuel judged the Bnei Yisroel at Mitzpah.
7 And when the Pelishtim heard that the Bnei Yisroel were gathered together at Mitzpah, the rulers of the Pelishtim went up against Yisroel. And when the Bnei Yisroel heard it, they were afraid of the Pelishtim.
8 And the Bnei Yisroel said to Shmuel, Cease not to cry out unto Hashem Eloheinu for us, that He will save us out of the yad Pelishtim.
9 And Shmuel took a suckling lamb, and offered him for an olah unto Hashem; and Shmuel cried out unto Hashem on behalf of Yisroel; and Hashem answered him.
10 And as Shmuel was offering up the olah, the Pelishtim drew near to battle against Yisroel; but Hashem thundered with a kol gadol on that day upon the Pelishtim, and threw them into confusion and panic; and they were struck down before Yisroel.
11 And the Anshei Yisroel went from Mitzpah, and pursued the Pelishtim, and struck them down, until they came to below Beit-Kar.
12 Then Shmuel took one even (stone), and set it up between Mitzpah and Shen, and called the shem of it Even-Ezer, saying, Hitherto hath Hashem helped us.
13 So the Pelishtim were subdued, and they came no more into the territory of Yisroel; and the yad Hashem was against the Pelishtim all the days of Shmuel.
14 And the towns which the Pelishtim had captured from Yisroel were restored to Yisroel, from Ekron even unto Gat; and the territory thereof did Yisroel deliver out of the yad Pelishtim. And there was shalom between Yisroel and HaEmori (the Amorites).
15 And Shmuel judged Yisroel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from shanah b’shanah in circuit to Beit-El, and Gilgal, and Mitzpah, and judged Yisroel in all those places.
17 And his teshuvah (return) was to Ramah; for there was his bais; and there he judged Yisroel; and there he built a Mizbe’ach unto Hashem.
8 And it came to pass, when Shmuel was old, that he made his banim shofetim over Yisroel.
2 Now the shem of his ben habechor was Yoel; and the shem of his mishneh (second), Aviyah; they were shofetim at Be’er Sheva.
3 And his banim walked not in his drakhim, but turned aside after betza (dishonest gain), and took shochad (bribe[s]), and perverted mishpat (justice).
4 Then kol Ziknei Yisroel gathered themselves together, and came to Shmuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Hinei, thou art old, and thy banim walk not in thy drakhim; now appoint for us a Melech to judge us like kol HaGoyim.
6 But the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Shmuel, when they said, Give us a Melech to judge us. And Shmuel davened unto Hashem.
7 And Hashem said unto Shmuel, Shema unto the voice of HaAm in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign as Melech over them.
8 According to all the ma’asim which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Mitzrayim even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served elohim acherim, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore pay heed unto their voice; howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the mishpat hamelech (customary ways of the king, kingly perogative) that shall reign over them.
10 And Shmuel told all the Divrei Hashem unto the people that asked of him a Melech.
11 And he said, This will be the mishpat hamelech that shall reign over you: he will take your banim, and appoint them for himself for his merkavah and his parashim; and some shall run before his merkavah.
12 And he will appoint for him sarei elafim, and sarei chamishim and will set them to plow his ground, and to reap his katzir (harvest), and to make his instruments of war, and his chariot equipment.
13 And he will take your banot to be perfumers, and to be tabakhot (cooks) and ofe’ot (bakers).
14 And he will take your fields, and your kramim (vineyards), and your olive groves, even the best of them, and give them to his avadim.
15 And he will take the tenth of your zera, and of your kramim (vines), and give to his officers, and to his avadim.
16 And he will take your avadim, and your shifchot, and your finest bochurim, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.
17 He will take the tenth of your tzon; and ye shall be his avadim.
18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your melech which ye shall have chosen for you; and Hashem will not hear you in that day.
19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Shmuel; and they said, No; but we will have a Melech over us;
20 That we also may be like kol HaGoyim; and that our Melech may judge us, and go out before us, and fight milchamoteinu (our battles).
21 And Shmuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of Hashem.
22 And Hashem said to Shmuel, Pay heed unto their voice, and crown them a Melech. And Shmuel said unto the Anshei Yisroel, Go ye back every ish unto his ir (town).
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