1 Samuel 7

English MEV 2014 (Modern English Version)

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1So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. And they brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

2And from the day the ark resided in Kiriath-jearim, the days increased to twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths from your midst. And make firm your hearts unto the Lord, and serve Him only. Then He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

4So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served the Lord only.

5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”

6They gathered together to Mizpah. And they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. And they fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel judged the Israelites in Mizpah.

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

8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying unto the Lord our God for us, that He might save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”

9Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering unto the Lord. And Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him.

10As 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 against the Philistines, and confused them. So they were beaten before Israel.

11Israel’s fighting men went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, as far as below Beth-kar.

12Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen. And he called its name Ebenezer saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not again come into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

14The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath. And Israel rescued their territory out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

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

16He went annually in a circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all those places.

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

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