3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returningj to the Lord with all your hearts, then ridk yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtorethsl and commitm yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,n and he will delivero you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 Then Samuelp said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,q and I will interceder with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah,s they drew water and pouredt it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leadera u of Israel at Mizpah.

7 When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraidv because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop cryingw out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuelx took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.y

10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thunderedz with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panica that they were routed before the Israelites. 11 The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

12 Then Samuel took a stoneb and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,b c saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13 So the Philistines were subduedd and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekrone to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.f

15 Samuelg continued as Israel’s leaderh alli the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethelj to Gilgalk to Mizpah, judgingl Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah,m where his home was, and there he also held courtn for Israel. And he built an altaro there to the Lord.