1 Samuel 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 The men of Kiriath-Jearim came and, taking up the ark of Yahweh, brought it to the house of Abinadabon the hil , and consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of Yahweh.	1 Then the men of Kiriath-jearim arrived, and they led away the ark of the Lord. And they brought it into the house of Abinadab, in Gibeah. Then they sanctified Eleazar, his son, so that he might care for the ark of the Lord.
2 From the day when the ark was instal ed at Kiriath-Jearim, a long time went by -- twenty years -- andthe whole House of Israel longed for Yahweh.	2 And it happened that, from that day, the ark of the Lord remained in Kiriath-jearim. And the days were multiplied (for it was now the twentieth year) and all the house of Israel rested, following the Lord.
3 Samuel then spoke as follows to the whole House of Israel, 'If you are returning to Yahweh with al yourheart, banish the foreign gods and Astartes which you now have, and set your heart on Yahweh and serve himalone; and he will deliver you from the power of the Philistines.'	3 Then Samuel spoke to the entire house of Israel, saying: “If you would return to the Lord with your whole heart, take away strange gods from among you, the Baals and Ashtaroth, and prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve him alone. And he will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 And the Israelites banished the Baals and Astartes and served Yahweh alone.	4 Therefore, the sons of Israel took away the Baals and Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord alone.
5 Samuel then said, 'Muster al Israel at Mizpah and I shal plead with Yahweh for you.'	5 And Samuel said, “Gather all of Israel at Mizpah, so that I may pray for you to the Lord.”
6 So they mustered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh. They fasted that dayand declared, 'We have sinned against Yahweh.' And Samuel was judge over the Israelites at Mizpah.	6 And they convened at Mizpah. And they drew water, and they poured it out in the sight of the Lord. And on that day they fasted, and in that place they said, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had mustered at Mizpah, the Philistine chiefs marched onIsrael; and when the Israelites heard this, they were afraid of the Philistines.	7 And the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah. And the princes of the Philistines ascended against Israel. And when the sons of Israel had heard this, they were afraid before the face of the Philistines.
8 They said to Samuel, 'Do not stop cal ing on Yahweh our God to rescue us from the power of thePhilistines.'	8 And they said to Samuel, “May you not cease to cry out to the Lord our God on our behalf, so that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 Samuel took a sucking lamb and presented it as a burnt offering to Yahweh, and he cal ed on Yahwehon behalf of Israel and Yahweh heard him.	9 Then Samuel took one suckling lamb, and he offered it whole, as a holocaust to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord heeded him.
10 While Samuel was in the act of presenting burnt offering, the Philistines joined battle with Israel, butthat day Yahweh thundered violently over the Philistines, threw them into panic and Israel defeated them.	10 Then it happened that, while Samuel was offering the holocaust, the Philistines began the battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great crash, on that day, over the Philistines, and he terrified them, and they were cut down before the face of Israel.
11 The men of Israel sal ied out from Mizpah in pursuit of the Philistines and beat them al the way tobelow Beth-Car.	11 And the men of Israel, departing from Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and they struck them down as far as the place which was below Bethcar.
12 Samuel then took a stone and erected it between Mizpah and the Tooth, and gave it the nameEbenezer, saying, 'Yahweh helped us as far as this.'	12 Then Samuel took a single stone, and he placed it between Mizpah and Shen. And he called the name of this place: The Stone of Assistance. And he said, “For in this place the Lord gave assistance to us.”
13 So the Philistines were humbled and no longer came into Israelite territory; Yahweh oppressed thePhilistines throughout the life of Samuel.	13 And the Philistines were humbled, and they no longer drew near, so that they might enter into the borders of Israel. And so, the hand of the Lord was over the Philistines during all the days of Samuel.
14 The towns which the Philistines had taken from Israel were given back to Israel, from Ekron al theway to Gath, and Israel freed their territory from the power of the Philistines. There was peace, too, betweenIsrael and the Amorites.	14 And the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron as far as Gath, with their borders. And he freed Israel from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel was judge over Israel throughout his life.	15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 Each year he went on circuit through Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah and judged Israel in al theseplaces.	16 And he went each year, traveling around to Bethel, and to Gilgal, and to Mizpah, and he judged Israel in the above-stated places.
17 He would then return to Ramah, since his home was there; there too he judged Israel. And there hebuilt an altar to Yahweh.	17 And he returned to Ramah. For his house was there, and he judged Israel there. And then he built an altar to the Lord there.