1 Samuel 7:2-13

English Standard Version

²From the day that the ark was lodged at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed, some twenty years, and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

Samuel Judges Israel

³And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, ^(A)“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then ^(B)put away the foreign gods and the ^(C)Ashtaroth from among you and ^(D)direct your heart to the Lord ^(E)and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

⁵Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at ^(F)Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” ⁶So they gathered at ^(G)Mizpah ^(H)and drew water and poured it out before the Lord ^(I)and fasted on that day and said there, ^(J)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. ⁷Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And ^(K)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. ¹⁰As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. ^(L)But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. ¹¹And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

¹²Then Samuel ^(M)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen^[a] and called its name Ebenezer;^[b] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” ¹³^(N)So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.