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153  O consider my affliction and deliver me, ♦︎
   for I do not forget your law.
154  Plead my cause and redeem me; ♦︎
   according to your promise, give me life.
155  Salvation is far from the wicked, ♦︎
   for they do not seek your statutes.
156  Great is your compassion, O Lord; ♦︎
   give me life, according to your judgements.
157  Many there are that persecute and oppress me, ♦︎
   yet do I not swerve from your testimonies.
158  It grieves me when I see the treacherous, ♦︎
   for they do not keep your word.
159  Consider, O Lord, how I love your commandments; ♦︎
   give me life according to your loving-kindness.
160  The sum of your word is truth, ♦︎
   and all your righteous judgements endure for evermore.
161  Princes have persecuted me without a cause, ♦︎
   but my heart stands in awe of your word.
162  I am as glad of your word ♦︎
   as one who finds great spoils.
163  As for lies, I hate and abhor them, ♦︎
   but your law do I love.
164  Seven times a day do I praise you, ♦︎
   because of your righteous judgements.
165  Great peace have they who love your law; ♦︎
   nothing shall make them stumble.
166  Lord, I have looked for your salvation ♦︎
   and I have fulfilled your commandments.
167  My soul has kept your testimonies ♦︎
   and greatly have I loved them.
168  I have kept your commandments and testimonies, ♦︎
   for all my ways are before you.
169  Let my cry come before you, O Lord; ♦︎
   give me understanding, according to your word.
170  Let my supplication come before you; ♦︎
   deliver me, according to your promise.
171  My lips shall pour forth your praise, ♦︎
   when you have taught me your statutes.
172  My tongue shall sing of your word, ♦︎
   for all your commandments are righteous.
173  Let your hand reach out to help me, ♦︎
   for I have chosen your commandments.
174  I have longed for your salvation, O Lord, ♦︎
   and your law is my delight.
175  Let my soul live and it shall praise you, ♦︎
   and let your judgements be my help.
176  I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; ♦︎
   O seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

7¹And the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord, and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated his son, Eleazar, to have charge of the ark of the Lord.

2 From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented^* after the Lord.

Samuel as Judge

3 Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ‘If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Astartes from among you. Direct your heart to the Lord, and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.’ ⁴So Israel put away the Baals and the Astartes, and they served the Lord only.

5 Then Samuel said, ‘Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.’ ⁶So they gathered at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and said, ‘We have sinned against the Lord.’ And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

7 When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸The people of Israel said to Samuel, ‘Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, and pray that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.’ ⁹So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt-offering to the Lord; Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. ¹⁰As Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the Lord thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel. ¹¹And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as beyond Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah,^* and named it Ebenezer;^* for he said, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’ ¹³So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶He went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all these places. ¹⁷Then he would come back to Ramah, for his home was there; he administered justice there to Israel, and built there an altar to the Lord.

The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold

20 ‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.^{* 21}Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; ²²for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfilment of all that is written. ²³Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; ²⁴they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’