1 T he men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the special box of the Lord and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They set apart his son Eleazar to keep the special box of the Lord. Samuel Judges for Israel

Vieram, pois, os homens de Quiriate-Jearim, tomaram a arca do Senhor e a levaram ã casa de Abinadabe, no outeiro; e consagraram a Eleazar, filho dele, para que guardasse a arca da Senhor.

2 T he special box stayed in Kiriath-jearim a long time, for it was twenty years. And all the family of Israel cried with sorrow for the Lord.

E desde e dia em que a arca ficou em Queriate-Jearim passou-se muito tempo, chegando até vinte anos; então toda a casa de Israel suspirou pelo Senhor.

3 T hen Samuel said to all the family of Israel, “Return to the Lord with all your heart. Put away the strange gods and the false goddess Ashtaroth from among you. Turn your hearts to the Lord and worship Him alone. Then He will save you from the Philistines.”

Samuel, pois, falou a toda a casa de Israel, dizendo: Se de todo o vosso coração voltais para o Senhor, lançai do meio de vós os deuses estranhos e as astarotes, preparai o vosso coração para com o Senhor, e servi a ele só; e ele vos livrará da mão dos filisteus.

4 S o the people of Israel put away from among them the false gods of Baal and Ashtaroth and worshiped the Lord alone.

Os filhos de Israel, pois, lançaram do meio deles os baalins e as astarotes, e serviram so ao Senhor.

5 T hen Samuel said, “Gather all Israel together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”

Disse mais Samuel: Congregai a todo o Israel em Mizpá, e orarei por vós ao Senhor.

6 S o they gathered at Mizpah. They got water and poured it out before the Lord as a gift, and did not eat that day. They said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

Congregaram-se, pois, em Mizpá, tiraram água e a derramaram perante o Senhor; jejuaram aquele dia, e ali disseram: Pecamos contra o Senhor. E Samuel julgava os filhos de Israel em Mizpá.

7 T he Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, so the leaders of the Philistines went to battle against them. When the people of Israel heard about it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

Quando os filisteus ouviram que os filhos de Israel estavam congregados em Mizpá, subiram os chefes dos filisteus contra Israel. Ao saberem disto os filhos de Israel, temeram por causa dos filisteus.

8 T he Israelites said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the Philistines.”

Pelo que disseram a Samuel: Não cesses de clamar ao Senhor nosso Deus por nós, para que nos livre da mão dos filisteus.

9 S amuel took a young lamb and gave it as a whole burnt gift to the Lord. Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.

Então tomou Samuel um cordeiro de mama, e o ofereceu inteiro em holocausto ao Senhor; e Samuel clamou ao Senhor por Israel, e o Senhor o atendeu.

10 A s Samuel was burning the gift to the Lord, the Philistines came near to battle against Israel. But the Lord made a loud thunder that day against the Philistines, making them afraid. So they lost the battle with Israel.

Enquanto Samuel oferecia o holocausto, os filisteus chegaram para pelejar contra Israel; mas o Senhor trovejou naquele dia com grande estrondo sobre os filisteus, e os aterrou; de modo que foram derrotados diante dos filhos de Israel.

11 T he men of Israel left Mizpah and went after the Philistines, killing them almost as far as Bethcar.

Os homens de Israel, saindo de Mizpá, perseguiram os filisteus e os feriram até abaixo de Bete-Car.

12 T hen Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen. He gave it the name Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord has helped us this far.”

Então Samuel tomou uma pedra, e a pôs entre Mizpá e Sem, e lhe chamou Ebenézer; e disse: Até aqui nos ajudou o Senhor.

13 S o the Philistines were beaten. They did not come into the land of Israel again. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel’s life.

Assim os filisteus foram subjugados, e não mais vieram aos termos de Israel, porquanto a mão do Senhor foi contra os filisteus todos os dias de Samuel.

14 T he cities the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned, from Ekron to Gath. Israel saved their land from the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

E as cidades que os filisteus tinham tomado a Israel lhe foram restituídas, desde Ecrom até Gate, cujos termos também Israel arrebatou da mão dos filisteus. E havia paz entre Israel e os amorreus.

15 S amuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Samuel julgou a Israel todos os dias da sua vida.

16 E very year he went around to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.

De ano em ano rodeava por Betel, Gilgal e Mizpá, julgando a Israel em todos esses lugares.

17 T hen he would return to Ramah, for his home was there. He judged Israel there also, and built an altar to the Lord.

Depois voltava a Ramá, onde estava a sua casa, e ali julgava a Israel; e edificou ali um altar ao Senhor.