| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then the people 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. | 1So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. |
| 2It was quite a long time--some twenty years in all--that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people of Israel longed for the LORD. | 2The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them. Samuel Leads Israel to Victory |
| 3Samuel 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. Give your hearts to the LORD and serve only him. Then he will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." | 3Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the LORD with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the LORD and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” |
| 4So the Israelites removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the LORD. | 4So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD. |
| 5Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf." | 5Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” |
| 6After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. They fasted on that day, and they confessed there, "We have sinned against the LORD." So Samuel led the people of Israel at Mizpah. | 6So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.) |
| 7When 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. | 7When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. |
| 8The Israelites said to Samuel, "Keep crying out to the LORD our God so that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines!" | 8“Don’t stop pleading with the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. |
| 9So Samuel took a nursing lamb 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. | 9So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the LORD as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the LORD to help Israel, and the LORD answered him. |
| 10As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel. But on that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by Israel. | 10Just as Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines arrived to attack Israel. But the LORD spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven that day, and the Philistines were thrown into such confusion that the Israelites defeated them. |
| 11Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car. | 11The men of Israel chased them from Mizpah to a place below Beth-car, slaughtering them all along the way. |
| 12Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Up to here the LORD has helped us." | 12Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the LORD has helped us!” |
| 13So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. | 13So the Philistines were subdued and didn’t invade Israel again for some time. And throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the LORD’s powerful hand was raised against the Philistines. |
| 14The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. | 14The Israelite villages near Ekron and Gath that the Philistines had captured were restored to Israel, along with the rest of the territory that the Philistines had taken. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites in those days. |
| 15So Samuel led Israel all the days of his life. | 15Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life. |
| 16Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places. | 16Each year he traveled around, setting up his court first at Bethel, then at Gilgal, and then at Mizpah. He judged the people of Israel at each of these places. |
| 17Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged Israel there and built an altar to the LORD there. | 17Then he would return to his home at Ramah, and he would hear cases there, too. And Samuel built an altar to the LORD at Ramah. |
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