³Then 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.

⁵Then 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 Israelites at Mizpah.^*

⁷When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.^* ⁸The Israelites 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.

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Cross references

*Deut 6:13; Josh 24:14; Judg 2:13; Joel 2:12; Mt 4:10
*Judg 20:1; 1 Sam 8:6
*Judg 10:10; Neh 9:1; Ps 62:8
*1 Sam 17:11
*Isa 37:4
*Ps 99:6; Jer 15:1
*Josh 10:10; 1 Sam 2:10; 2 Sam 22:14, 15