1 Samuel 7:3-12

New International Version

³ So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning^(A) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid^(B) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths^(C) and commit^(D) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,^(E) and he will deliver^(F) you out of the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

⁵ Then Samuel^(G) said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,^(H) and I will intercede^(I) with the Lord for you.” ⁶ When they had assembled at Mizpah,^(J) they drew water and poured^(K) it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader^[a](L) of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid^(M) because of the Philistines. ⁸ They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying^(N) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Then Samuel^(O) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^(P)

¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(Q) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(R) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹ The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(S) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[b](T) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”