1 The people of Kiriath-Jearim got the chest and took it to Abinadab's house, which was on a hill in their town. They chose his son Eleazar to take care of it, 2 and it stayed there for 20 years.
During this time everyone in Israel was very sad and begged the Lord for help.
The People of Israel Turn Back to the Lord
3 One day, Samuel told all the people of Israel, “If you really want to turn back to the Lord, then prove it. Get rid of your foreign idols, including the ones of the goddess Astarte. Turn to the Lord with all your heart and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
4 The people got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte and began worshiping only the Lord.
5 Then Samuel said, “Tell everyone in Israel to meet together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”
6 The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader. They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the Lord. On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the Lord.
The Philistines Attack Israel
7 When the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, they sent an army there to attack the people of Israel.
The Israelites were afraid when they heard that the Philistines were coming. 8 “Don't stop praying!” they told Samuel. “Ask the Lord our God to rescue us.”
9-10 Samuel begged the Lord to rescue Israel, then he sacrificed a young lamb to the Lord. Samuel had not even finished offering the sacrifice when the Philistines started to attack. But the Lord answered his prayer and made thunder crash all around them. The Philistines panicked and ran away. 11 The men of Israel left Mizpah and went after them as far as the hillside below Beth-Car, killing every enemy soldier they caught.
12-13 The Philistines were so badly beaten that it was quite a while before they attacked Israel again. After the battle, Samuel set up a monument between Mizpah and the rocky cliffs. He named it “Help Monument” to remind Israel how much the Lord had helped them.
For as long as Samuel lived, the Lord helped Israel fight the Philistines. 14 The Israelites were even able to recapture their towns and territory between Ekron and Gath.
Israel was also at peace with the Amorites.
Samuel Is a Leader in Israel
15 Samuel was a leader in Israel all his life. 16 Every year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah where he served as judge for the people. 17 Then he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there. He also had an altar built for the Lord at Ramah.
1 Balume be Kiriatijearimu bakazha bakatola Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe, bakaliyisa ku ng'umba ya Abinadabu pezhugwi kwe duthu. Ngono bakabiga nkololo uwe, Eleazari kuti atjengete Bhokisi le Tjidumano tja Yahwe.
Samuele unobusa Iziraela
2 Kudwa mu zhuba lakagadziwa Bhokisi le Tjidumano ku Kiriatijearimu, kwakapinda tjibaka tjilefu lefu, makole ali makumi mabili (20), ngono mu tjibaka tjose itjetji Baiziraela bose bakabe bakabhata belilila Yahwe.
3 Ngono Samuele kadwa Baiziraela bose kati, “Ha mushandukila kuna Yahwe nge mimoyo yenyu yose, makafanila kuti mubigile midzimu ye butaya kutjena namwi na bo Ashitaroti mubaduse pakati kwenyu, muzwipile kushingila Yahwe boga nge mimoyo yenyu yose, ndiko kwabanowomusunungula mu maboko e Bafilisitiya.” 4 Ndizo Baiziraela bakalashila kutjena midzimu ye bataya yabo bo Bhaale na bo Ashitaroti, bakashingila Yahwe koga.
5 Ipapo Samuele kabadwa kati, “Kubunganyilani Baiziraela bose ku Mizipha, ngono ndowomutembezelela kuna Yahwe.” 6 Ndizo Baiziraela bakakubunganila ku Mizipha bana Samuele ali ntungamili wabo. Ngono Baiziraela bakatjela vula bakaitebulila mbeli kwa Yahwe. Mu zhuba ilelo bakazwinyima zojiwa bakazwileba beti, “Takatjinyila Yahwe.”
7 Kwakati Bafilisitiya behwa kuti Baiziraela bakakubunganila ku Mizipha, boshe be Bafilisitiya bakayenda benogwa ne Baiziraela. Ngono kwakati Baiziraela behwa ngekwako, bakatja Bafilisitiya. 8 Bakadwa Samuele bakati, “Musitongo misa kutitembezelela kuna Yahwe, Ndzimu wedu, kuti batitjidze mu luboko gwe Bafilisitiya.” 9 Ndizo Samuele katola pkhwizana inomwa kaipisa yose ili tjibhayilo kuna Yahwe. Kalilila Yahwe mu bumo gwe Baiziraela, ngono Yahwe bakan'dabila. 10 Kwakati Samuele atjapisa tjibhayilo, Bafilisitiya bakasedzela bezha kuwobhayana ne Baiziraela. Koga mu zhuba ilelo Yahwe bakadidima nge hwi lisi lishoma lakalonga lutjo mu Bafilisitiya ngono bakakundiwa ne Baiziraela. 11 Balume be Iziraela bakabhuda mu Mizipha bakatatana ne Bafilisitiya, bebabulaya kudzina benoswika pejo ne Bhetikara.
12 Ndizo Samuele katola bgwe kalibiga pakati kwe Mizipha ne Jeshana, kalitumila zina eti, “Ebheneza” edwa kuti, “Kwe tjinga Yahwe kwabakadwila betibhatsha.” 13 Ndizo Bafilisitiya bakakundiwa, ngono bakasitjangine nge ngwa mu ntuthu we Iziraela kakale. Luboko gwa Yahwe gwakabhayana ne Bafilisitiya butjilo gwa Samuele gose. 14 Mizi yose yakabe yatapiwa ne Bafilisitiya mu Iziraela, yakabgwilizigwa Iziraela kudwa mu Ekironi kunoti ku Gati, Baiziraela bakatola ntuthu wose kupoteleka mizi iyeyo mu maboko e Bafilisitiya. Kukabe ne mbakiso pakati kwe Iziraela ne Baamori.
15 Samuele kabe akatungamila bathu be Iziraela misi yose ye butjilo gugwe. 16 Wakabe eti gole ne gole kapoteleka edwa ku Bhetele eyenda ku Giligala ne ku Mizipha egadzanya bathu be Iziraela mu magalo wose iyawa. 17 Ipapo ekoshandukila ku Rama, ngobe kwakabe kuli iko kuna nzi uwe, na ikokobo wakabe ebusaboko. Ngono kabakila Yahwe tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo ikoko.