7¹ And the men of Kirjath-Jearim come and bring up the ark of Jehovah, and bring it in unto the house of Abinadab, in the height, and Eleazar his son they have sanctified to keep the ark of Jehovah. ² And it cometh to pass, from the day of the dwelling of the ark in Kirjath-Jearim, that the days are multiplied—yea, they are twenty years—and wail do all the house of Israel after Jehovah.

Samuel Judges Israel

³ And Samuel speaketh unto all the house of Israel, saying, 'If with all your heart ye are turning back unto Jehovah—turn aside the gods of the stranger from your midst, and Ashtaroth; and prepare your heart unto Jehovah, and serve Him only, and He doth deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.' ⁴ And the sons of Israel turn aside the Baalim and Ashtaroth, and serve Jehovah alone; ⁵ and Samuel saith, 'Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I pray for you unto Jehovah.' ⁶ And they are gathered to Mizpeh, and draw water, and pour out before Jehovah, and fast on that day, and say there, 'We have sinned against Jehovah;' and Samuel judgeth the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

⁷ And the Philistines hear that the sons of Israel have gathered themselves to Mizpeh; and the princes of the Philistines go up against Israel, and the sons of Israel hear, and are afraid of the presence of the Philistines. ⁸ And the sons of Israel say unto Samuel, 'Keep not silent for us from crying unto Jehovah our God, and He doth save us out of the hand of the Philistines.' ⁹ And Samuel taketh a fat lamb, and causeth it to go up—a burnt-offering whole to Jehovah; and Samuel crieth unto Jehovah for Israel, and Jehovah answereth him; ¹⁰ and Samuel is causing the burnt-offering to go up—and the Philistines have drawn nigh to battle against Israel—and Jehovah doth thunder with a great noise, on that day, upon the Philistines, and troubleth them, and they are smitten before Israel. ¹¹ And the men of Israel go out from Mizpeh, and pursue the Philistines, and smite them unto the place of Beth-Car. ¹² And Samuel taketh a stone, and setteth 'it' between Mizpeh and Shen, and calleth its name Eben-Ezer, saying, 'Hitherto hath Jehovah helped us.'

¹³ And the Philistines are humbled, and have not added any more to come into the border of Israel, and the hand of Jehovah is on the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴ And the cities which the Philistines have taken from Israel are restored to Israel—from Ekron even unto Gath—and their border hath Israel delivered out of the hand of the Philistines; and there is peace between Israel and the Amorite. ¹⁵ And Samuel judgeth Israel all the days of his life, ¹⁶ and he hath gone from year to year, and gone round Beth-El, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel 'in' all these places; ¹⁷ and his returning 'is' to Ramath, for there 'is' his house, and there he hath judged Israel, and he buildeth there an altar to Jehovah.

The LORD Calls Samuel

3¹ And the youth Samuel is serving Jehovah before Eli, and the word of Jehovah hath been precious in those days—there is no vision broken forth. ² And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun to be dim—he is not able to see. ³ And the lamp of God is not yet extinguished, and Samuel is lying down in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God 'is', ⁴ and Jehovah calleth unto Samuel, and he saith, 'Here 'am' I.' ⁵ And he runneth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here 'am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, 'I called not; turn back, lie down;' and he goeth and lieth down. ⁶ And Jehovah addeth to call again Samuel, and Samuel riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here 'am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, 'I have not called, my son, turn back, lie down.' ⁷ And Samuel hath not yet known Jehovah, and the word of Jehovah is not yet revealed unto him. ⁸ And Jehovah addeth to call Samuel the third time, and he riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here 'am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and Eli understandeth that Jehovah is calling to the youth. ⁹ And Eli saith to Samuel, 'Go, lie down, and it hath been, if He doth call unto thee, that thou hast said, Speak, Jehovah, for Thy servant is hearing;' and Samuel goeth and lieth down in his place. ¹⁰ And Jehovah cometh, and stationeth Himself, and calleth as time by time, 'Samuel, Samuel;' and Samuel saith, 'Speak, for Thy servant if hearing.'

¹¹ And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, 'Lo, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one hearing it do tingle. ¹² In that day I establish unto Eli all that I have spoken unto his house, beginning and completing; ¹³ and I have declared to him that I am judging his house—to the age, for the iniquity which he hath known, for his sons are making themselves vile, and he hath not restrained them, ¹⁴ and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: the iniquity of the house of Eli is not atoned for, by sacrifice, and by offering—unto the age.' ¹⁵ And Samuel lieth till the morning, and openeth the doors of the house of Jehovah, and Samuel is afraid of declaring the vision unto Eli. ¹⁶ And Eli calleth Samuel, and saith, 'Samuel, my son;' and he saith, 'Here 'am' I.' ¹⁷ And he saith, 'What 'is' the word which He hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me; so doth God do to thee, and so doth He add, if thou hidest from me a word of all the words that He hath spoken unto thee.' ¹⁸ And Samuel declareth to him the whole of the words, and hath not hid from him; and he saith, 'It 'is' Jehovah; that which is good in His eyes He doth.'

¹⁹ And Samuel groweth up, and Jehovah hath been with him, and hath not let fall any of his words to the earth; ²⁰ and all Israel know, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, that Samuel is established for a prophet to Jehovah. ²¹ And Jehovah addeth to appear in Shiloh, for Jehovah hath been revealed unto Samuel, in Shiloh, by the word of Jehovah.