1 And the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of Jehovah, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of Jehovah.
2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim many days; it was twenty years. And all the house of Israel mourned after Jehovah.
3 And Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, If you are returning unto Jehovah with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for Jehovah, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and Ashtaroth, and served Jehovah only.
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Jehovah for you.
6 And they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before Jehovah. And they fasted that day, and said there, We have sinned against Jehovah. 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 rulers of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid before the Philistines.
8 And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry out unto Jehovah our God for us, that He may deliver us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9 And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering unto Jehovah. And Samuel cried out unto Jehovah for Israel, and Jehovah answered him.
10 And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But Jehovah thundered with a loud noise upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were smitten before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.
12 And Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, Thus far has Jehovah helped us.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of Jehovah was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territories from the hands of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
17 And he returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto Jehovah.
1 Então, os homens de Quiriate-Jearim vieram para levar a arca do Senhor. Eles a levaram para a casa de Abinadabe, na colina, e consagraram seu filho Eleazar para guardar a arca do Senhor.
2 A arca permaneceu em Quiriate-Jearim muito tempo; foram vinte anos. E todo o povo de Israel buscava o Senhor com súplicas.
3 E Samuel disse a toda a nação de Israel: "Se vocês querem voltar-se para o Senhor de todo o coração, livrem-se então dos deuses estrangeiros e dos postes sagrados, consagrem-se ao Senhor e prestem culto somente a ele, e ele os libertará das mãos dos filisteus".
4 Assim, os israelitas se livraram dos baalins e dos postes sagrados, e começaram a prestar culto somente ao Senhor.
5 E Samuel prosseguiu: "Reúnam todo Israel em Mispá, e eu intercederei ao Senhor a favor de vocês".
6 Quando eles se reuniram em Mispá, tiraram água e a derramaram perante o Senhor. Naquele dia jejuaram e disseram ali: "Temos pecado contra o Senhor". E foi em Mispá que Samuel liderou os israelitas como juiz.
7 Quando os filisteus souberam que os israelitas estavam reunidos em Mispá, os governantes dos filisteus saíram para atacá-los. Quando os israelitas souberam disso, ficaram com medo dos filisteus.
8 E disseram a Samuel: "Não pare de clamar por nós ao Senhor nosso Deus, para que nos salve das mãos dos filisteus".
9 Então Samuel pegou um cordeiro ainda não desmamado e o ofereceu inteiro como holocausto ao Senhor. Ele clamou ao Senhor em favor de Israel, e o Senhor lhe respondeu.
10 Enquanto Samuel oferecia o holocausto, os filisteus se aproximaram para combater Israel. Naquele dia, porém, o Senhor trovejou com fortíssimo estrondo contra os filisteus e os colocou em pânico. Então foram derrotados por Israel.
11 Os soldados de Israel saíram de Mispá e perseguiram os filisteus até um lugar abaixo de Bete-Car, matando-os pelo caminho.
12 Então Samuel pegou uma pedra e a ergueu entre Mispá e Sem; e deu-lhe o nome de Ebenézer, dizendo: "Até aqui o Senhor nos ajudou".
13 Assim os filisteus foram dominados e não voltaram a invadir o território israelita. A mão do Senhor opôs-se aos filisteus durante toda a vida de Samuel.
14 As cidades que os filisteus haviam conquistado, foram devolvidas a Israel, desde Ecrom até Gate. Israel libertou os territórios ao redor delas do poder dos filisteus. E houve também paz entre Israel e os amorreus.
15 Samuel continuou como juiz de Israel durante todos os dias de sua vida.
16 A cada ano percorria Betel, Gilgal, e Mispá, decidindo as questões de Israel em todos esses lugares.
17 Mas sempre retornava a Ramá, onde ficava sua casa; ali ele liderava Israel como juiz e naquele lugar construiu um altar em honra do Senhor.