1 Samuel 7

1 So the people of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill.  * 7:1 2Sm 6:3–4 They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.

Victory at Mizpah

2 Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord. 3 Samuel told them, "If you  * 7:3 Ex 20:3 are returning to the Lord* 7:3 Dt 13:4; 1Ch 19:3 with all your heart,  * 7:3 Dt 6:5; 30:10; Jl 2:12–14 get rid of the foreign gods  * 7:3 Jos 24:14,23; Jdg 10:16 and the Ashtoreths that are among you, set your hearts on the Lord, and worship only him.  * 7:3 Dt 6:13; Mt 4:10 Then he will rescue you from the Philistines." 4 So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths  * 7:4 Jdg 2:13 and only worshiped the Lord.

5 Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah,  * 7:5 Jdg 20:1 and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf."  * 7:5 1Sm 8:6; 12:17,19,236 When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence.  * 7:6 1Sm 1:15; Ps 62:8; Lm 2:19 They fasted that day,  * 7:6 Lv 16:29; Neh 9:1 and there they confessed, "We have sinned against the Lord."  * 7:6 Jdg 10:10 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 Philistines."

9 Then Samuel took a young lamb  * 7:9 Lv 22:27 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.  * 7:9 Ps 99:6; Jr 15:110 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly  * 7:10 1Sm 2:10; 2Sm 22:14 against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.  * 7:10 Ex 23:27; Jos 10:10; Jdg 4:1511 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  * 7:12 Jos 4:9 between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,  * 7:12 = Stone of Help explaining, "The Lord has helped us to this point." 13 So the Philistines were subdued  * 7:13 Jdg 13:1–15 and  * 7:13 LXX reads The Lord humbled the Philistines and they did not invade Israel’s territory again.  * 7:13 1Sm 13:5 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.  * 7:15 1Sm 7:6; 12:1116 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  * 7:17 1Sm 1:1,19; 2:11 because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the Lord there.