1 Samuel 7

1 Then the men of *Josh. 9:17; 15:9, 60; 18:14; Judg. 18:12; 1 Chr. 13:5, 6Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of *1 Sam. 6:21; Ps. 132:6Abinadab on the hill, and *2 Sam. 6:3, 4consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

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 *Lev. 21:8return to the Lord with all your hearts, then*Deut. 30:2–10; 1 Kin. 8:48; Is. 55:7; Hos. 6:1; Joel 2:12–14put away the foreign gods and the *Gen. 35:2; Josh. 24:14, 23; Judg. 10:16Ashtoreths from among you, and *Judg. 2:13; 1 Sam. 31:10prepare your hearts for the Lord, and *2 Chr. 30:19; Job 11:13serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the children of Israel put away the *Deut. 6:13; 10:20; 13:4; Josh. 24:14; Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

5 And Samuel said, *Judg. 2:11; 10:16"Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and *Judg. 10:17; 20:1; 1 Sam. 10:17I will pray to the Lord for you." 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, *1 Sam. 12:17–19drew water, and poured it out before the Lord. And they *2 Sam. 14:14fasted that day, and said there, *Judg. 20:26; Neh. 9:1, 2; Dan. 9:3–5; Joel 2:12"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 ofit, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, *Judg. 10:10; 1 Sam. 12:10; 1 Kin. 8:47; Ps. 106:6"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 *1 Sam. 12:19–24; Is. 37:4suckling lamb and offered itas a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then *Lev. 22:27Samuel 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. *1 Sam. 12:18; Ps. 99:6; Jer. 15:1But 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 drove them back as far as below Beth Car. 12 Then Samuel *Josh. 10:10; 2 Sam. 22:14, 15; Ps. 18:13, 14took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the Lord has helped us."

13 *Gen. 28:18; 35:14; Josh. 4:9; 24:26So the Philistines were subdued, and they *Judg. 13:1did 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 *1 Sam. 13:5judged 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 *1 Sam. 12:11he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he *1 Sam. 8:4built an altar to the Lord.