1 Samuel 7:3–11

Samuel Judges Israel

³Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “^aIf you are to return to Yahweh with all your heart, then ^bremove the foreign gods and the ^cAshtaroth from among you and ^dset your hearts toward Yahweh and ^eserve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

⁴So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served Yahweh alone.

⁵Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to ^aMizpah, and ^bI will pray to Yahweh for you.”

⁶And they gathered to Mizpah and drew water and ^apoured it out before Yahweh and ^bfasted on that day and said there, “^cWe have sinned against Yahweh.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷Then the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah. And the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. Then the sons of Israel heard it and ^awere afraid of the Philistines.

⁸So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “^aDo not cease to cry out to Yahweh our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

⁹And Samuel took ^aa suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh; and Samuel cried out to Yahweh for Israel, and ^bYahweh answered him.

¹⁰Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But ^aYahweh thundered with a great ¹thunder on that day against the Philistines and ^bconfused them, so that they were ²defeated before Israel.

¹¹So the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them down as far as below Beth-car.