OET-RV 1 SAM Chapter 7

2 The sacred chest ended up staying in Kiryat-Yearim for twenty years but the Israelis longed sadly for Yahweh.

3 Then Shmuel (Samuel) told all the Israelis, “If you all really want to return to Yahweh, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtarot from among you. Then decide firmly to serve Yahweh and no other, then he’ll rescue you from the Pelishtim’ oppression.” 4 So the Israelis removed the Ba’al and Ashtoret idols, and began to serve Yahweh only.

5 Then Shmuel called, “Gather all Yisrael (Israel) to Mitspah, and I’ll pray to Yahweh for you all.” 6 So they gathered at Mitspah, and drew water and poured it out in front of Yahweh, and they fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” And Shmuel guided the Israelis at Mitspah.

7 When the Pelishtim heard that the Israelis had gathered at Mitspah, the Pelishti rulers decided to attack Yisrael. When the Israelis heard that, they were afraid of the Pelishtim 8 and begged Shmuel, “Don’t stop crying out to our god Yahweh, so that he’ll rescue us from the Pelishtim.” 9 So Shmuel got a young lamb and offered it up—a whole burnt up offering to Yahweh. And he cried out to Yahweh for Yisrael, and Yahweh answered him. 10 While Shmuel was offering up that burnt offering, the Pelishtim approached to battle against Yisrael. But that day Yahweh made an intense sound like thunder that confused the Pelishtim and the Israelis were able to defeat them. 11 The Israeli men ran out from Mitspah and chased the Pelishtim—killing them all the way to Beyt-Kar.

12 Shmuel took a single rock and stood it between Mitspah and Shen. He named it ‘Even-Ha’ezer’ (Ebenezer) (which means ‘stone of help’), saying, “Yahweh helped us all the way up to here.” 13 So the Pelishtim ended up being subdued and didn’t invade Yisrael’s border again, and Yahweh worked against the Pelishtim as long as Shmuel lived. 14 The cities that the Pelishtim had taken from Ekron and as far as Gat were returned to Yisrael. And so Yisrael rescued their territory from the Pelishtim, and there was peace between Yisrael and the Amorim.

15 So Shmuel guided Yisrael while he lived. 16 Every year he did the circuit around Beyt-El (Bethel), Gilgal, and Mitspah, and he helped settled disputes for the people in all those places, 17 but he always returned to Ramah because his home was there. He would judge disputes there, and built an altar to Yahweh there.