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 Bituŋ Kiriyati-Yeyarimu kewolu naata, ì ye Yaawe* la Kambeŋ Kunewo* taa. Ì ye a samba Abinadabu la buŋo le to konkoo kaŋ, aduŋ ì naata a dinkewo Eleyasa seneyandi, ka a ke Yaawe la Kambeŋ Kunewo kantalaa ti.
Samuweli ye Filisitinkoolu la kuwo jindi Misipa
2 Yaawe la Kambeŋ Kunewo meebaata Kiriyati-Yeyarimu le. A ye sanji muwaŋ ne ke jee. Wo waatoolu kono Banisirayilankoolu ka tu kumboo le la, ka Yaawe daani maakoyiroo la.
3 Bituŋ Samuweli ko Banisirayilankoolu bee ye ko, “Niŋ ali be muruŋ na Yaawe kaŋ niŋ ali sondomoo bee la, wo to ali ñiŋ alla koteŋolu, aniŋ Asitoreti* jalaŋolu fayi, ali ye ali ñaa tiliŋ Yaawe la ka a dammaa batu, bituŋ i si a je, a si ali bondi noo ñiŋ mantooroo kono, Filisitinkoolu ka meŋ ke ali la.” 4 Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye ì la Asitoreti jalaŋolu niŋ ì la Baali* jalaŋolu fayi, ì naata Yaawe dammaa batu.
5 Wo to le Samuweli ko, “Banisirayilankoolu bee ye beŋ Misipa saatewo to, i si a je, n si duwaa ke ali niŋ Yaawe teema.” 6 Kabiriŋ ì benta Misipa, ì ye jiyo bii, ì ye a boŋ Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la. Wo luŋo ì sunta le, aduŋ ì sonta jee le to ko, ì ye junuboo soto Yaawe la karoo la le. Samuweli ka kiitiyo kuntu Banisirayilankoolu ye Misipa le.
7 Kabiriŋ Filisitinkoolu ye a moyi ko, Banisirayilankoolu benta Misipa le, ì la maralilaalu aniŋ kelediŋ kafoolu taata ka taa ì boyinkaŋ. Kabiriŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye a moyi, ì silata Filisitinkoolu la le. 8 Ì ko Samuweli ye ko, “Tu duwaa daani la ǹ ye Yaawe bulu, ǹ na Alla, i si a je, a si ǹ tankandi noo Filisitinkoolu ma.” 9 Bituŋ Samuweli naata saajiiriŋo meŋ be suusuwo la taa, a ye a bee ke jani sadaa* ti Yaawe ye. Bituŋ a kumboota Yaawe ye, fo a si Banisirayila maakoyi, aduŋ Yaawe naata a la duwaa jaabi. 10 Kabiriŋ Samuweli be ñiŋ jani sadaa bondi kaŋ, Filisitinkoolu naata naŋ ka naa Banisirayila kele. Bari wo luŋo Yaawe ye saŋ feteŋ baa kumandi Filisitinkoolu kaŋ, wo le ye ì kijoo teyi. Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu naata ì noo keloo la. 11 Banisirayilankoolu tariyaatoo fintita Misipa, ì ye Filisitinkoolu bayindi, ì be ì faa kaŋ, fo ì futata Beti-Kari.
12 Bituŋ Samuweli ye beroo taa, a ye a ke Misipa niŋ Seni teema. A ye a toolaa Ebenesa la, ka a fo ko, “Yaawe ye m̀ maakoyi ñiŋ siloo bee le kaŋ.”
13 Wo to le Filisitinkoolu la kuwo jiita, aduŋ ì maŋ naa duŋ Banisirayilankoolu la bankoo kaŋ kotenke. Samuweli la baluwo bee kono, Yaawe maŋ kuwolu sooneeyandi Filisitinkoolu ye. 14 Saatee baalu mennu Filisitinkoolu ye ì taa Banisirayilankoolu bulu, ì ye ì murundi Banisirayilankoolu la le, ka bo Ekironi fo Kati, aduŋ Banisirayila naata ì la bankoo taa Filisitinkoolu bulu. Kayiroo fanaa naata sabati Banisirayilankoolu niŋ Amorinkoolu teema.
15 Samuweli tententa ka ke Banisirayilankoolu la kiitindirilaa ti a la baluwo bee kono. 16 Saŋ-wo-saŋ a ka taa muruŋ-muruŋo la Beteli, Kilikali aniŋ Misipa, aduŋ a ka kiitiyo kuntu Banisirayilankoolu ye ñiŋ dulaalu to le. 17 Bari niŋ a pareeta waati-wo-waati, a ka seyi Rama le, a la saatewo be daameŋ, aduŋ a ka Banisirayilankoolu kiitindi jee fanaa to le. A ye sadaabodulaa* fanaa loo Yaawe ye jee le.
