1And the men of Kiryat Ye’arim came, and fetched up the Aron יהוה , and brought it into the house of Avinadav in the hill, and consecrated Elazar his son to keep the Aron יהוה .
2And it came to pass, from the day that the Aron abode in Kiryat Ye’arim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years; and all Beit Yisra’el yearned after יהוה .
3And Shmu’el spoke unto all Beit Yisra’el, saying, “If you do return unto יהוה with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtarot from among you, and direct your hearts unto יהוה , and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the P’lishtim.” 4Then B’nei Yisra’el did put away the Ba’alim and the Ashtarot, and served יהוה only.
5And Shmu’el said, “Gather all Yisra’el to Mitzpatah, and I will pray unto יהוה for you.” 6And they gathered together to Mitzpatah, and drew water, and poured it out before יהוה , and fasted on that day, and said there, “We have sinned against יהוה .” And Shmu’el judged B’nei Yisra’el in Mitzpatah. 7And when the P’lishtim heard that B’nei Yisra’el were gathered together to Mitzpatah, the lords of the P’lishtim went up against Yisra’el. And when B’nei Yisra’el heard it, they were afraid of the P’lishtim. 8And B’nei Yisra’el said to Shmu’el, “Cease not to cry unto יהוה Eloheinu for us, that He save us out of the hand of the P’lishtim.” 9And Shmu’el took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering unto יהוה ; and Shmu’el cried unto יהוה for Yisra’el; and יהוה answered him. 10And as Shmu’el was offering up the burnt offering, the P’lishtim drew near to battle against Yisra’el; but יהוה thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the P’lishtim, and discomfited them; and they were smitten down before Yisra’el. 11And the men of Yisra’el went out of Mitzpatah, and pursued the P’lishtim, and smote them, until they came under Beit Kar. 12Then Shmu’el took a stone, and set it between Mitzpatah and Shen, and called the name of it Even Ezer, saying, “Here has יהוה helped us.” 13So the P’lishtim were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Yisra’el; and the hand of יהוה was against the P’lishtim all the days of Shmu’el. 14And the cities which the P’lishtim had taken from Yisra’el were restored to Yisra’el, from Ekron even unto Gat; and the border thereof did Yisra’el deliver out of the hand of the P’lishtim. And there was shalom between Yisra’el and the Amori. 15And Shmu’el judged Yisra’el all the days of his life. 16And he went from year to year in circuit to Beit El, and Gilgal, and Mitzpah; and he judged Yisra’el in all those places. 17And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Yisra’el; and he built there an altar unto יהוה .
אוַיָּבֹאוּ אַנְשֵׁי קִרְיַת יְעָרִים וַיַּעֲלוּ אֶת אֲרוֹן יהוה וַיָּבִאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל בֵּית אֲבִינָדָב בַּגִּבְעָה; וְאֶת אֶלְעָזָר בְּנוֹ קִדְּשׁוּ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת אֲרוֹן יהוה .
בוַיְהִי מִיּוֹם שֶׁבֶת הָאָרוֹן בְּקִרְיַת יְעָרִים וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים וַיִּהְיוּ עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה; וַיִּנָּהוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחֲרֵי יהוה .
גוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִם בְּכָל לְבַבְכֶם אַתֶּם שָׁבִים אֶל יהוה הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר מִתּוֹכְכֶם וְהָעַשְׁתָּרוֹת; וְהָכִינוּ לְבַבְכֶם אֶל יהוה וְעִבְדֻהוּ לְבַדּוֹ וְיַצֵּל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים. דוַיָּסִירוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַבְּעָלִים וְאֶת הָעַשְׁתָּרֹת; וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת יהוה לְבַדּוֹ.
הוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל קִבְצוּ אֶת כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּצְפָּתָה; וְאֶתְפַּלֵּל בַּעַדְכֶם אֶל יהוה . ווַיִּקָּבְצוּ הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיִּשְׁאֲבוּ מַיִם וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ לִפְנֵי יהוה וַיָּצוּמוּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁם חָטָאנוּ לַיהוה ; וַיִּשְׁפֹּט שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּצְפָּה. זוַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים כִּי הִתְקַבְּצוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיַּעֲלוּ סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּרְאוּ מִפְּנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים. חוַיֹּאמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל אַל תַּחֲרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ מִזְּעֹק אֶל יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ; וְיֹשִׁעֵנוּ מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים. טוַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל טְלֵה חָלָב אֶחָד ויעלה (וַיַּעֲלֵהוּ) עוֹלָה כָּלִיל לַיהוה ; וַיִּזְעַק שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל יהוה בְּעַד יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ יהוה . יוַיְהִי שְׁמוּאֵל מַעֲלֶה הָעוֹלָה וּפְלִשְׁתִּים נִגְּשׁוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיַּרְעֵם יהוה בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא עַל פְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיְהֻמֵּם וַיִּנָּגְפוּ לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. יאוַיֵּצְאוּ אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הַמִּצְפָּה וַיִּרְדְּפוּ אֶת פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וַיַּכּוּם עַד מִתַּחַת לְבֵית כָּר. יבוַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל אֶבֶן אַחַת וַיָּשֶׂם בֵּין הַמִּצְפָּה וּבֵין הַשֵּׁן וַיִּקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָהּ אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר; וַיֹּאמַר עַד הֵנָּה עֲזָרָנוּ יהוה . יגוַיִּכָּנְעוּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְלֹא יָסְפוּ עוֹד לָבוֹא בִּגְבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל ; וַתְּהִי יַד יהוה בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים כֹּל יְמֵי שְׁמוּאֵל. ידוַתָּשֹׁבְנָה הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ-פְלִשְׁתִּים מֵאֵת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵעֶקְרוֹן וְעַד גַּת וְאֶת גְּבוּלָן הִצִּיל יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד פְּלִשְׁתִּים; וַיְהִי שָׁלוֹם, בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבֵין הָאֱמֹרִי. טווַיִּשְׁפֹּט שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו. טזוְהָלַךְ מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה וְסָבַב בֵּית אֵל וְהַגִּלְגָּל וְהַמִּצְפָּה; וְשָׁפַט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה. יזוּתְשֻׁבָתוֹ הָרָמָתָה כִּי שָׁם בֵּיתוֹ וְשָׁם שָׁפָט אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַיהוה .
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 