Samuel Judges Israel

2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you dreturn to the Lord with all your hearts, then eput away the foreign gods and the fAshtoreths 1from among you, and gprepare your hearts for the Lord, and hserve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the children of Israel put away the iBaals and the 2Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 And Samuel said, j“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and kI will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, ldrew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they mfasted that day, and said there, n“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.

7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, o“Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9 And Samuel took a psuckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then qSamuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. rBut the Lord thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and 3drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel stook a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name 4Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

13 tSo the Philistines were subdued, and they udid not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 And Samuel vjudged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 But whe always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he xbuilt an altar to the Lord.