1Quelli di Chiriat-Iearim vennero a prendere l’arca del Signore; la portarono in casa di Abinadab, sulla collina, e consacrarono suo figlio Eleazar perché custodisse l’arca del Signore.2Dal giorno che l’arca era stata collocata a Chiriat-Iearim era passato molto tempo; vent’anni erano trascorsi e tutta la casa d’Israele alzò lamenti verso il Signore.3Allora Samuele parlò a tutta la casa d’Israele e disse: «Se davvero tornate al Signore con tutto il vostro cuore, togliete di mezzo a voi gli dèi stranieri e gli idoli di Astarte, volgete risolutamente il vostro cuore verso il Signore e servite lui, lui solo. Allora egli vi libererà dalle mani dei Filistei».4Così i figli d’Israele tolsero via gli idoli di Baal[1] e di Astarte[2], e servirono il Signore soltanto.5Poi Samuele disse: «Radunate tutto Israele a Mispa, e io pregherò il Signore per voi».6Ed essi si radunarono a Mispa, attinsero dell’acqua, la sparsero davanti al Signore, digiunarono quel giorno e dissero: «Abbiamo peccato contro il Signore». E Samuele fu giudice dei figli d’Israele a Mispa.7I Filistei seppero che i figli d’Israele si erano radunati a Mispa, e i loro prìncipi salirono contro Israele. I figli d’Israele lo seppero, ebbero paura dei Filistei8e dissero a Samuele: «Non cessare di pregare per noi il Signore, il nostro Dio, affinché ci liberi dalle mani dei Filistei.9Samuele prese un agnello da latte e l’offrì intero in olocausto al Signore; e gridò al Signore per Israele, e il Signore lo esaudì.10Mentre Samuele offriva l’olocausto, i Filistei si avvicinarono per assalire Israele; ma il Signore in quel giorno fece rimbombare dei tuoni con gran fragore contro i Filistei e li mise in rotta, tanto che essi furono sconfitti davanti a Israele.11Gli uomini d’Israele uscirono da Mispa, inseguirono i Filistei e li batterono fin sotto Bet-Car.12Allora Samuele prese una pietra, la pose tra Mispa e Sen e la chiamò Eben-Ezer[3], e disse: «Fin qui il Signore ci ha soccorsi».13I Filistei furono umiliati e non tornarono più a invadere il territorio d’Israele; e la mano del Signore fu contro i Filistei per tutto il tempo di Samuele.14Le città che i Filistei avevano prese a Israele tornarono a Israele, da Ecron fino a Gat. Israele liberò il loro territorio dalle mani dei Filistei. Ci fu pace anche fra Israele e gli Amorei.
Samuele giudice d’Israele
15Samuele fu giudice d’Israele per tutto il tempo della sua vita.16Egli andava ogni anno a fare il giro di Betel, di Ghilgal e di Mispa, ed esercitava la funzione di giudice d’Israele in tutti quei luoghi.17Poi tornava a Rama, dove abitava; là giudicava Israele e là costruì un altare al Signore.
1 Samuele 7
English Standard Version
1And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord. (2Sam 6,3)2From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.
Samuel Judges Israel
3And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” (Gen 35,2; De 6,13; De 10,20; De 13,4; De 30,2; Gios 24,14; Gios 24,23; Giudic 2,13; Giudic 10,16; 1Re 8,48; 2Cr 19,3; 2Cr 30,19; Esd 7,10; Is 55,7; Os 6,1; Gioe 2,12; Mat 4,10; Lu 4,8)4So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” (Giudic 20,1)6So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. (Giudic 10,10; 1Sam 7,5; 1Sam 31,13; 2Sam 14,14; Ne 9,1)7Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.8And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”9So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. (Sal 99,6; Ger 15,1)10As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. (1Sam 2,10; 2Sam 22,14; Sal 18,13)11And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.12Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[1] and called its name Ebenezer;[2] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” (Gen 28,18; Gen 31,45; Gen 35,14; Gios 4,9; Gios 24,26)13So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. (Giudic 13,1)14The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.15Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. (Giudic 2,16; 1Sam 7,6; 1Sam 12,11)16And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places.17Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord. (Giudic 21,4; 1Sam 1,19; 1Sam 14,35)