1 Samuel 7:9-12

7:9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb ¹  and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

7:10 As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel. ²  But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by ³  Israel. 7:11 Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.

7:12 Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. ⁴  He named it Ebenezer, ⁵  saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.”

1 Samuel 12:18-24

12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” ⁶ 

12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned. ⁷  However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 12:21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty. ⁸  12:22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. ⁹  The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 12:23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 12:24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you!

[7:9]  ¹ tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.”

[7:10]  ² tn Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”

[7:10]  ³ tn Heb “before.”

[7:12]  ⁴ tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.”

[7:12]  ⁵ sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.

[12:19]  ⁶ tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”

[12:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”

[12:21]  ⁸ tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”

[12:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “on account of his great name.”