Parallel Bible results for "1 samuel 7"

1 Samuel 7

The Message Bible MSG

1 And they did. The men of Kiriath Jearim came and got the Chest of God and delivered it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They ordained his son, Eleazar, to take responsibility for the Chest of God.

2 From the time that the Chest came to rest in Kiriath Jearim, a long time passed - twenty years it was - and throughout Israel there was a widespread, fearful movement toward God.

3 Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: "If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he'll save you from Philistine oppression."

4 They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to God.

5 Next Samuel said, "Get everybody together at Mizpah and I'll pray for you."

6 So everyone assembled at Mizpah. They drew water from the wells and poured it out before God in a ritual of cleansing. They fasted all day and prayed, "We have sinned against God." So Samuel prepared the Israelites for holy war there at Mizpah. The Place Where God Helped Us

7 When the Philistines heard that Israel was meeting at Mizpah, the Philistine leaders went on the offensive. Israel got the report and became frightened - Philistines on the move again!

8 They pleaded with Samuel, "Pray with all your might! And don't let up! Pray to God, our God, that he'll save us from the boot of the Philistines."

9 Samuel took a young lamb not yet weaned and offered it whole as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God. He prayed fervently to God, interceding for Israel. And God answered.

10 While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked - mass confusion! - and ran helter-skelter from Israel.

11 Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car.

12 Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it "Ebenezer" (Rock of Help), saying, "This marks the place where God helped us."

13 The Philistines learned their lesson and stayed home - no more border crossings. God was hard on the Philistines all through Samuel's lifetime.

14 All the cities from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored. Israel also freed the surrounding countryside from Philistine control. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel gave solid leadership to Israel his entire life.

16 Every year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He gave leadership to Israel in each of these places.

17 But always he would return to Ramah, where he lived, and preside from there. That is where he built an altar to God.

New Century Version NCV

1 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord to Abinadab's house on a hill. There they made Abinadab's son Eleazar holy for the Lord so he could guard the Ark of the Lord.

2 The Ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim a long time -- twenty years in all. And the people of Israel began to follow the Lord again.

3 Samuel spoke to the whole group of Israel, saying, "If you're turning back to the Lord with all your hearts, you must remove your foreign gods and your idols of Ashtoreth. You must give yourselves fully to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will save you from the Philistines."

4 So the Israelites put away their idols of Baal and Ashtoreth, and they served only the Lord.

5 Samuel said, "All Israel must meet at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you."

6 So the Israelites met together at Mizpah. They drew water from the ground and poured it out before the Lord and did not eat that day. They confessed, "We have sinned against the Lord." And Samuel served as judge of Israel at Mizpah.

7 The Philistines heard the Israelites were meeting at Mizpah, so the Philistine kings came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard they were coming, they were afraid.

8 They said to Samuel, "Don't stop praying to the Lord our God for us! Ask him to save us from the Philistines!"

9 Then Samuel took a baby lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He called to the Lord for Israel's sake, and the Lord answered him.

10 While Samuel was burning the offering, the Philistines came near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered against them with loud thunder. They were so frightened they became confused. So the Israelites defeated the Philistines in battle.

11 The men of Israel ran out of Mizpah and chased the Philistines almost to Beth Car, killing the Philistines along the way.

12 After this happened Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named the stone Ebenezer, saying, "The Lord has helped us to this point."

13 So the Philistines were defeated and did not enter the Israelites' land again. The Lord was against the Philistines all Samuel's life.

14 Earlier the Philistines had taken towns from the Israelites, but the Israelites won them back, from Ekron to Gath. They also took back from the Philistines the lands near these towns. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel continued as judge of Israel all his life.

16 Every year he went from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah and judged the Israelites in all these towns.

17 But Samuel always went back to Ramah, where his home was. There he judged Israel and built an altar to the Lord.