7 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill. s They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.

Victory at Mizpah

2 Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek the Lord. 3 Samuel told them, “If you t are returning to the Lord u with all your heart, v get rid of the foreign gods w and the * Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves to x the Lord, and worship only Him. y Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites removed the * Baals and the Ashtoreths z and only worshiped the Lord.

5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, a and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” b 6 When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence. c They fasted that day, d and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” e And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. 8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9 Then Samuel took a young lamb f and offered it as a whole * burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him. g 10 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly h against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel. i 11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.

12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright j between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, k explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued l and m did not invade Israel’s territory again. n The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. 14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel judged Israel throughout his life. o 16 Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations. 17 Then he would return to Ramah p because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the Lord there.