1 Samuel 7
Open in the reader1Then the men of City-of-Forests came for the Chest of He-Who-Is and took it into My-Father-Is-Generous’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son My-God-Is-Help to guard the Chest of He-Who-Is.
2And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the Chest remained at City-of-Forests. And all the house of Strives-with-God mournfully sought He-Who-Is.
3Then Heard-of-God said to all the house of Strives-with-God, “If you are returning to He-Who-Is with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for He-Who-Is, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4So the children of Strives-with-God put away The-Ruler and Ashtoreths and served only He-Who-Is.
5Then Heard-of-God said, “Gather all Strives-with-God to Watchtower, and I will pray to He-Who-Is on your behalf.”
6When they had gathered at Watchtower, they drew water and poured it out before He-Who-Is. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against He-Who-Is.” And Heard-of-God judged the children of Strives-with-God at Watchtower.
7When the Philistines heard that the children of Strives-with-God had gathered at Watchtower, their rulers marched up toward Strives-with-God. And when the children of Strives-with-God learned of this, they feared the Philistines
8and said to Heard-of-God, “Do not stop crying out to He-Who-Is our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9Then Heard-of-God took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to He-Who-Is. He cried out to He-Who-Is on behalf of Strives-with-God, and He-Who-Is answered him.
10As the Philistines drew near to fight against Strives-with-God, Heard-of-God was offering up the burnt offering. But that day He-Who-Is thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Strives-with-God.
11Then the men of Strives-with-God charged out of Watchtower and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below House-of-Lamb.
12Afterward, Heard-of-God took a stone and set it up between Watchtower and Shen. He named it Stone-of-Help, saying, “Thus far He-Who-Is has helped us.”
13So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Strives-with-God. And the hand of He-Who-Is was against the Philistines all the days of Heard-of-God.
14The cities from Uprooting to Wine-Press, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Strives-with-God, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the children of Strives-with-God and the Mountaineers.
15So Heard-of-God judged Strives-with-God all the days of his life.
16Every year he would go on a circuit from House-of-God to The-Rolling to Watchtower, judging Strives-with-God in all these places.
17Then he would return to The-Height because his home was there, and there he judged Strives-with-God and built an altar to He-Who-Is.