I Samuel 7

¹So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord to the house of Abinadab in Gibeah, and they made his son Eleazar holy and put the ark in his care.

²And the ark was in Kiriath-jearim for a long time, as much as twenty years: and all Israel was searching after the Lord with weeping.

³Then Samuel said to all Israel, If with all your hearts you would come back to the Lord, then put away all the strange gods and the Astartes from among you, and let your hearts be turned to the Lord, and be servants to him only: and he will make you safe from the hands of the Philistines.

⁴So the children of Israel gave up the worship of Baal and Astarte, and became worshippers of the Lord only.

⁵Then Samuel said, Let all Israel come to Mizpah and I will make prayer to the Lord for you.

⁶So they came together to Mizpah, and got water, draining it out before the Lord, and they took no food that day, and they said, We have done evil against the Lord. And Samuel was judge of the children of Israel in Mizpah.

⁷Now when the Philistines had news that the children of Israel had come together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And the children of Israel, hearing of it, were full of fear.

⁸And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Go on crying to the Lord our God for us to make us safe from the hands of the Philistines.

⁹And Samuel took a young lamb, offering all of it as a burned offering to the Lord; and Samuel made prayers to the Lord for Israel and the Lord gave him an answer.

¹⁰And while Samuel was offering the burned offering, the Philistines came near for the attack on Israel; but at the thunder of the Lord's voice that day the Philistines were overcome with fear, and they gave way before Israel.

¹¹And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and went after the Philistines, attacking them till they came under Beth-car.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone and put it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, naming it Eben-ezer, and saying, Up to now the Lord has been our help.

¹³So the Philistines were overcome, and did not come into the country of Israel again: and all the days of Samuel the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines.

¹⁴And the towns which the Philistines had taken were given back to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and all the country round them Israel made free from the power of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵And Samuel was judge of Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶From year to year he went in turn to Beth-el and Gilgal and Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places.

¹⁷And his base was at Ramah, where his house was; there he was judge of Israel and there he made an altar to the Lord.

I Samuel 7

¹The men of Kiriath Jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.

²It happened, from the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath Jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.

³Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you do return to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts to the Lord, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

⁴Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.

⁵Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to the Lord."

⁶They gathered together to Mizpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the Lord." Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.

⁷When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸The children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines."

⁹Samuel took a suckling lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the Lord: and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel; and the Lord answered him.

¹⁰As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Philistines, and confused them; and they were struck down before Israel.

¹¹The men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines, and struck them, until they came under Beth Kar.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "The Lord helped us until now."

¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more within the territory of Israel. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶He went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places.

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