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 Opo nee ovalumenhu vokuKiriat-Jearim ve uya ndele va twala ko oshikefa shOmwene ndele ve shi tula mongulu yaAbinadab koshikulundu. Ndele omona waye omumati Eliaser ve mu yapulila okukala noshisho shoshikefa shOmwene.
Ovafilisti tava tewa
2 Okudja kefiku oshikefa sha tulwa muKiriat-Jearim opa pita efimbo lile nokutya omido omilongo mbali, neumbo alishe laIsrael la lila kOmwene.
3 Ndelenee Samuel okwa popya neumbo alishe laIsrael ndele ta ti: “Nye ngeenge tamu alukile kOmwene nomutima weni aushe, efeni hano oikalunga yokoilongo nooAstarot mokati keni, nomitima deni di kanyatelifeni kOmwene, ndele Oye aeke mu longeleni. Opo nee Ye ote ke mu xupifa momake Ovafilisti.” 4 Opo ovana vaIsrael va efa ooBaal nooAstarot ndele va longela Omwene aeke.
5 Samuel ta ti vali: “Shivileni Ovaisraeli aveshe kuMispa, opo nee ame ohandi ke mu indilila kOmwene.” 6 Va ongala muMispa ndele va teka omeva ndele tave a tileshi koshipala shOmwene, nefiku olo ve lidilika ndele tava ti: “Fye otwa nyona kOmwene.” Ndele Samuel okwa tokola eendjovo dovana vaIsrael muMispa.
7 Ovafilisti eshi va uda ovana vaIsrael va ongala muMispa, eehamba dOvafilisti da fikama di homone Israel. Novana vaIsrael ve shi uda ndele va tila Ovafilisti. 8 Novana vaIsrael va lombwela Samuel: Ino dimbuka oku tu indilila kOmwene Kalunga ketu, opo Ye e tu xupife mo momake Ovafilisti. 9 Opo nee Samuel okwa kufa okadjona taka nyamu ndele e ka yambela Omwene ngaashi exwikiloyambo inaka tukaulwa. Ndele Samuel okwa indilila Ovaisraeli kOmwene. NOmwene e mu uda. 10 Osheshi fimbo Samuel ta yambe exwikiloyambo nOvafilisti va ehena popepi va lwife Israel, mefiku tuu olo Omwene okwa ndundumifa ondaka inene kombada yOvafilisti, ndele Ye e va dongakanifa fiyo va tewa kOvaisraeli. 11 Nomatanga ovakwaita vaIsrael a dja muMispa ndele va shikula Ovafilisti ndele ve va taataela langhele kombinga yaBet-Kar. 12 Opo nee Samuel okwa kufa emanya ndele e li dika pokati kaMispa naSen, ndele e li luka Eben-Eser ndele ta ti: “Fiyo opapa Omwene e tu kwafa!” 13 NOvafilisti va ninipikwa, onghee inave uya mo vali moshilongo shaIsrael, neke lOmwene la kondjifa Ovafilisti omafiku aeshe aSamuel. 14 Noilando yOvafilisti ve i kufa kOvaisraeli ya aluka kuIsrael okudja kuEkron fiyo okuGat nomikunda dayo Ovaisraeli va kufa momake Ovafilisti. Nombili ya kala pokati kOvaisraeli nOvaamori. 15 Ndele Samuel okwa li omutokolipangeli waIsrael ashishe omafiku aeshe omokukala kwaye. 16 Omudo nomudo ye a endaenda kuBetel nokuGilgal nokuMispa nokwa tokola eendjovo dOvaisraeli meenhele adishe odo. 17 Opo nee ye okwa shuna kuRama. Osheshi oko kwa kala eumbo laye. Oko a tokola eendjovo daIsrael noko a tungila Omwene oaltari.
