1 Samuel 7

¹And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and brought up the ark of the LORD, and they brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

²And it was, from the day the ark settled in Kiriath-jearim, the days multiplied and became twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

³And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, saying: If with all your heart you are returning to the Lord, remove the foreign gods from your midst and the Ashtaroth, and prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve him alone, so that he may deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.

⁴And the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD alone.

⁵And Samuel said, 'Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to the LORD.'

⁶And they assembled at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the Lord, and they fasted that day and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷And the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel; and the sons of Israel heard and they feared before the Philistines.

⁸And the sons of Israel said to Samuel, Do not be silent from us from crying out to the Lord our God, so that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.

⁹And Samuel took a suckling lamb, one, and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD; and Samuel cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him.

¹⁰And it was, while Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, that the Philistines drew near for battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were struck down before Israel.

¹¹And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and they smote them as far as below Beth-car.

¹²And Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, Thus far the Lord has helped us.

¹³And the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come again into the territory of Israel; and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴And the cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶And he went year by year on a circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places.

¹⁷And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel, and he built there an altar to the LORD.