1 Samuel 7 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 So the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord. They put it in Abinadab's house on the hill. They dedicated his son Eleazar to take care of the Ark of the Lord.
1 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took Yahweh’s ark, and brought it into Abinadab’s house on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep Yahweh’s ark.
2 The Ark remained there in Kiriath-jearim from that day for a long time, in fact for twenty years. Everyone in Israel mourned and in repentance came back to the Lord.
2 From the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, the time was long—for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.
3 Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “If you sincerely wish to come back to the Lord, then get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth images you have, and commit yourselves to the Lord and only worship him, and he will save you from the Philistines.”
3 Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to Yahweh, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
4 The people of Israel got rid of their Baals and Ashtoreth images and worshiped only the Lord.
4 Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Have all the people of Israel gather at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”
5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
6 Once they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Samuel became the leader of the Israelites at Mizpah.
6 They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before Yahweh, and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines found out that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers led an attack on Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were terrified at what the Philistines might do.
7 When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 They told Samuel, “Don't stop pleading with the Lord our God for us so he can save us from the Philistines.”
8 The children of Israel said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying to Yahweh our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”
9 Samuel took a young lamb and presented it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out for help to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord responded.
9 Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh. Samuel cried to Yahweh for Israel, and Yahweh answered him.
10 While Samuel was presenting the burnt offering, the Philistines approached to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered extremely loudly against the Philistines that day, which totally confused them, and they were defeated as Israel watched.
10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel; but Yahweh thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.
11 Then the men of Israel ran out from Mizpah and chased them, killing them all the way to a place near Beth-car.
11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them until they came under Beth Kar.
12 After this Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. He called it Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord helped us right up to here!”
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us until now.”
13 In this way the Philistines were kept under control and did not invade Israel again. During Samuel's lifetime the Lord used his power against the Philistines.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped coming within the border of Israel. Yahweh’s hand was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 The towns the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, all the way from Ekron to Gath, and Israel also liberated the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its border out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel was Israel's leader for the rest of his life.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 Every year he went around, going to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. At all these places he ruled Israel.
16 He went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.
17 Then he would return to Ramah because that was where he lived. He ruled Israel from there, and also built an altar to the Lord.
17 His return was to Ramah, for his house was there, and he judged Israel there; and he built an altar to Yahweh there.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Eleazar
Consecrated by the men of Kiriath-jearim to guard the ark of the LORD in his father Abinadab's house on the hill.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 7:1
Samuel
Born to Hannah in answer to prayer and dedicated to the LORD at Shiloh, he was confirmed as a prophet, judged Israel all his life, anointed Saul and then David, and was buried at…
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 1:20; 1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Samuel 7:15
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Samuel 6:2–4; Isaiah 52:11; 1 Samuel 6:21; Joshua 18:14; 1 Chronicles 13:5–7
- 2 Jeremiah 3:13; Jeremiah 31:9; 2 Corinthians 7:10–11; Judges 2:4; Zechariah 12:10–11
- 3 Luke 4:8; Deuteronomy 13:4; Matthew 4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13; Isaiah 55:7
- 4 Hosea 14:8; Hosea 14:3; Judges 2:13; 1 Kings 11:33; Judges 10:15–16
- 5 Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 12:23; 1 Samuel 7:16; 1 Samuel 10:17; 1 Samuel 7:12
- 6 2 Samuel 14:14; 1 Samuel 1:15; Judges 10:10; Psalm 106:6; Psalm 62:8
- 7 1 Samuel 17:11; 1 Samuel 13:6; Exodus 14:10; 2 Chronicles 20:3
- 8 Isaiah 37:4; James 5:16; 1 Samuel 12:19–24; Isaiah 62:1; Isaiah 62:6–7
- 9 Jeremiah 15:1; Psalm 99:6; 1 Samuel 7:17; Psalm 50:15; 1 Samuel 16:2
- 10 1 Samuel 2:10; 1 Samuel 12:17; 2 Samuel 22:14–15; Judges 5:20; Joshua 10:10
- 12 2 Corinthians 1:10; Joshua 4:9; Acts 26:22; Genesis 22:14; Genesis 35:14
- 13 Judges 13:1; 1 Samuel 17:49–53; 1 Samuel 31:1–7; 1 Samuel 14:20–23; 1 Samuel 13:1–5
- 14 Psalm 106:34; Deuteronomy 7:2; Deuteronomy 7:16; Judges 4:17
- 15 1 Samuel 7:6; Acts 13:20–21; Judges 2:16; 1 Samuel 12:1; 1 Samuel 25:1
- 16 Psalm 75:2; Psalm 82:3–4; Judges 10:4; Judges 5:10; Judges 12:14
- 17 1 Samuel 1:19; 1 Samuel 8:4; 1 Samuel 1:1; Genesis 33:20; Genesis 35:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… were confused, and fell before Israel and were overcome; [then] he took one stone and set it up between the old and new Massephat [Mizpeh], and called its name Ebenezer, which means "the stone of the helper," and said, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." Massephat is interpreted "desire." That stone of the helper is the mediation of the Saviour, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)