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 Ago lidri Kiriyata Jerima ro ikyiyite ago ŋgyiyi Sänduku Tao'baro OPI rote ago eziyite lutu dri zo mano se ävuru na Abinadaba ana roya; ago ànya diyi Eleazara ŋgwa ndaro te a'done dri'bana ro.
Samuele Vureope'ba ro Yisaraele Dri
2 Sänduku Tao'baro OPI ro rite Kiriyata Jerima ya madaro, rite ndroa 'buteritu. Ago lidri cini Yisaraele ro liyite OPI ri ta ŋgaopa rota.
3 Ago Samuele atate lidri cini Yisaraele ro ri ekye: “Ondro ka'do nyàte ego OPI re ya cini amiro si, beṛo ämiri lui cini atrai ro ndi Asetarete be anane ni ami lakosi. Mìdi andivo amiro OPI ri ya cini si ago nyìnduru toto ndäri ayani, ago nda opana ami 'da ni drì Felesete'bai ro yasi.” 4 Ago Yisaraele'bai anayi Balama ndi Asetarete be te, ago ànya mätuyite toto OPI ayani.
5 'Dooko Samuele zi Yisaraele'bai cini te kalaombine Mizipa ya, ago atate ekye: “Mämätuna 'da OPI ri ta amiro ta lau.” 6 Ago ànya cini otoyikalate Mizipa ya. Ànya ndiyi gyi te ago dayite OPI kandra ŋgapäṛi ro, ago akpayite kitu zwi. Ago atayite ekye: “Màye takozi te OPI lomvo.” Ago Samuele pe vure lidri Yisaraele ro rote Mizipa ya. 7 Ondro Felesete'bai keriyi tate ekye lidri Yisaraele ro otoyi kalate Mizipa ya oko, dri'bai Felesete'bai ro oyiyite Yisaraele gotane. Ago ondro Yisaraele'bai keri tana te oko ànya a'doyite turituri ro ni Felesete'bai ri. 8 Ndi Yisaraele'bai atayite Samuele ri ekye: “Nye'be mätu oye ko OPI Lu amaro ri ta amaro ta tana nda kopa ama robe ni drì Felesete'bai ro yasi.” 9 Ago Samuele ru timelegogoŋwa te, lote ago zate cu tori oloro ro OPI ri; Samuele mätute OPI ri ta Yisaraele rota, ago OPI zatadri ndaro te. 10 Samuele dri ŋgapäṛi ozaro olovoya oko, Felesete'bai esayite loto Yisaraele'bai gotane; oko OPI hwete uhwe amba si Felesete'bai dri. Nda gburu ànya te; ago ànya muyite ni Yisaraele'bai milesi. 11 Ago mànoago Yisaraele ro fote ni Mizipa yasi ago soyite Felesete'bai vo, ago tufuyi ànya te ti osane le Betekara ya.
12 'Dooko Samuele ru kuni te ago edrete kuru lakole Mizipa ro ndi Jesana be ya, ago zi ävuruna te Ebenezere; tana nda ekye: “OPI pa ama te le noŋwa.” 13 Ndi ape Felesete'bai te ṛe ago ànya eciyi kote 'bädri Yisaraele roya tona. Ago drì OPI ro a'dokote Felesete'bai dri tu cini ori Samuele ro rosi. 14 'Bakicii se cini Felesete'bai kuruyibe ologote Yisaraele ri, etoni Ekerona yasi le Gata ya, ago Yisaraele ru wari ànyaro cini te kovole ni drì Felesete'bai ro yasi. Ago Taliatokpe a'do kpate orivoya lakole Yisaraele ro Amora'bai be ya.
15 Samuele pe vure Yisaraele'bai rote tu cini ori ndaro rosi. 16 Ndroa cini si nda abate gbikyi Betele ya, Gilegala ya, ago Mizipa ya, ago pe vure Yisaraele rote vo cini kwoi yasi. 17 'Dooko nda egote kovole Rama ya, se ni 'ba ndaro, ago lau nda ye losi kpate vure ope'ba ro Yisaraele ri. Ago nda be vo tori oloro te Rama ya OPI ri.