I Samuel 7

¹Therfor men of Cariathiarym camen, and ledden ayen the arke of the Lord, and brouyten it in to the hows of Amynadab in Gabaa. Sotheli thei halewiden Eleazar his sone, that he schulde kepe the ark of the Lord.

²And it was doon, fro which dai `the arke of the Lord dwellide in Caryathiarym, daies weren multiplied; for the twentithe yeer was now, after that Samuel bigan to teche the puple; and al Israel restide aftir the Lord.

³Forsothe Samuel spak to al the hows of Israel, and seide, If in al youre herte ye turnen ayen to the Lord, do ye awei alien goddis, Balym and Astaroth, fro the myddis of you; and make ye redi youre hertis to the Lord, and serue ye hym aloone; and he schal delyuere you fro the hond of Filisteis.

⁴Therfor the sones of Israel diden awey Baalym and Astoroth, and serueden the Lord aloone.

⁵Forsothe Samuel seide, Gadere ye al Israel in to Masphat, that Y preie the Lord for you.

⁶And thei camen togidere in to Masphat, and thei drowen watir, and shedden out in the `siyt of the Lord; and thei fastiden in that day, and seiden, Lord, we synneden to thee. And Samuel demyde the sones of Israel in Masphat.

⁷And Filisteis herden that the sones of Israel weren gaderid in Masphat; and the princes of Filisteis stieden to Israel. And whanne the sones of Israel hadden herd this, thei dredden of the face of Filisteis.

⁸And `thei seiden to Samuel, Ceesse thou not to crye for vs to oure Lord God, that he saue vs fro the `hoond of Filisteis.

⁹Forsothe Samuel took o soukynge lomb, and offride that hool in to brent sacrifice to the Lord. And Samuel criede to the Lord for Israel; and the Lord herde hym.

¹⁰Forsothe it was doon, whanne Samuel offryde brent sacrifice, that Filisteis bigunnen batel ayens Israel. Sotheli the Lord thundride with greet thundur in that dai on Filisteis, and made hem aferd; and thei weren slayn of the sones of Israel.

¹¹And the sones of Israel yeden out of Masphat, and pursueden Filisteis, and smytiden hem `til to the place that was vndur Bethachar.

¹²Forsothe Samuel took o stoon, and puttide it bitwixe Masphat, and bitwixe Sen; and he clepide the name of that place The stoon of help. And he seide, Hidir to the Lord helpide vs.

¹³And Filisteis weren maad low, and addiden no more to come in to the termes of Israel. And so the `hond of the Lord was maad on Filisteis in alle the daies of Samuel.

¹⁴And the citees whiche the Filisteis token fro Israel, weren yoldun to Israel, fro Accaron `til to Geth and `hise termes; and the Lord delyuerede Israel fro the hond of Filisteis; and pees was bitwixe Israel and Ammorrey.

¹⁵Also Samuel demyde Israel in alle the daies of his lijf, that is, `til to the ordeynyng `and confermyng of Saul;

¹⁶and he yede bi `alle yeeris, and cumpasside Bethel, and Galgal, and Masphat, and he demyde Israel in the forseid places.

¹⁷And he turnede ayen in to Ramatha, for his hows was there; and he demyde Israel there, and he bildide there also an auter to the Lord.

I Samuel 7

¹And the men of Kirjath–jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

²And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath–jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

³And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁴Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.

⁵And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord.

⁶And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.

⁷And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.

⁹And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.

¹⁰And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

¹¹And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth–car.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben–ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth–el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.

¹⁷And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.