The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Samuel 07
1 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and
took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated
Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark.
2 From the day that the ark stayed in
Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it
was twenty years; and all the house of
Israel lamented after Yahweh.
3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel,
saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh
with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among
you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and
serve him only; and he will deliver you out
of the hand of the Philistines.”
4 Then the children of Israel removed
the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served
Yahweh only.
5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
6 They gathered together to Mizpah, and
drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there,
“We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel
judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the
children of Israel were gathered together
at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went
up against Israel. When the children of
Israel heard it, they were afraid of the
Philistines.
8 The children of Israel said to Samuel,
“Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our God for
us, that he will save us out of the hand of
the Philistines.”
9 Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel,
and Yahweh answered him.
10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt
offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered
with a great thunder on that day on the
Philistines and confused them; and they
were struck down before Israel.
11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah
and pursued the Philistines, and struck
them until they came under Beth Kar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it
between Mizpah and Shen, and called its
name Ebenezer,† saying, “Yahweh helped
us until now.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and
they stopped coming within the border of
Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the
Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 The cities which the Philistines had
taken from Israel were restored to Israel,
from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the
Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel allthe days of his
life.
16 He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he
judged Israel in all those places.
17 His return was to Ramah,for his house
was there, and he judged Israel there; and
he built an altar to Yahweh there.