^7:5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” ^7:6After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed⁷ there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led⁸ the people of Israel at Mizpah.

^7:7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. ^7:8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep⁹ crying out to the Lord our¹⁰ God so that he may save us¹¹ from the hand of the Philistines!” ^7:9So Samuel took a nursing lamb¹² 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.

^7:10As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel.¹³ But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by¹⁴ Israel. ^7:11Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.

^7:12Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen.¹⁵ He named it Ebenezer,¹⁶ saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.” ^7:13So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

^7:14The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control¹⁷ of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. ^7:15So Samuel led¹⁸ Israel all the days of his life. ^7:16Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel,¹⁹ Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places.

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Footnotes

7 Heb “said.”
8 Heb “judged”; “began to judge”; “settled disputes among.”
9 Heb “don’t stop.”
10 The reads “your God” rather than the ’s “our God.”
11 After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
12 Heb “a lamb of milk”; “an unweaned lamb”; “a suckling lamb”; “a baby lamb.”
13 Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”
14 Heb “before.”
15 Cf. , , “Jeshanah.”
16 The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. ); adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
17 Heb “hand.”
18 Heb “judged” (also in v. 17).
19 For location see ; ; ; ; .