1 Samuel 7:1-17
The LORD Saves Israel
1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord. 2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim a long time—twenty years in all.
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver 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 said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will intercede with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured 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 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 because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel 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.
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic 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 and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. 14 The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel continued as Israel’s leader all the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the Lord.
The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the Ark of the Covenant up the hill to the house of Abinadab the priest...They performed a special ceremony to prepare Abinadab’s son, Eleazar, to guard the Ark of the Covenant...The Ark stayed there at Kiriath Jearim for a long time...Twenty years passed while the Ark of the Covenant was in Kiriath Jearim, and the Israelites began to follow the LORD again...Samuel told the Israelites, “If you are really coming back to the LORD with all your heart, you must throw away your foreign gods and your idols of Ashtoreth...You must give yourselves fully to the LORD and serve only Him...Then He will save you from the Philistines.”...So the Israelites threw away their statues of Baal and Ashtoreth...The Israelites served only the LORD...
Samuel said, “All Israel must meet at Mizpah...I will pray to the LORD for you.”...The Israelites met together at Mizpah...They got water and poured it out before the LORD...In this way they began a time of fasting...They did not eat any food that day, and they confessed their sins...They said, “We have sinned against the LORD.”...So Samuel served as a judge of Israel at Mizpah...When the Philistines heard that the Israelites were meeting at Mizpah, they went to fight them...The Israelites were frightened when they heard the Philistines were coming and said to Samuel, “Don’t stop praying to the LORD our God for us...Ask Him to save us from the Philistines.”...Samuel took a baby lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD...He prayed to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered his prayer...The Philistines came closer and closer to fight the Israelites while Samuel offered the sacrifice...But then, the LORD caused a loud clap of thunder to hit near the Philistines...The thunder scared the Philistines, and they became confused, so the Israelites defeated them in battle...The men of Israel ran out of Mizpah and chased the Philistines all the way to Beth Car...They killed Philistine soldiers all along the way...After this Samuel set up a special stone to help people remember what God did...Samuel put the stone between Mizpah and Shen and named the stone “Stone of Help.”...Samuel said, “The LORD helped us all the way to this place.”...The Philistines were defeated and did not enter the land of Israel again...The LORD was against the Philistines during the rest of Samuel’s life...The Philistines had taken some cities from Israel, but the Israelites won them back...They recovered those cities throughout the Philistine area, from Ekron to Gath....There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites....
Samuel led Israel all his life...He went from place to place judging the Israelites...Every year he traveled around the country...He went to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and he judged the Israelites in all these places...But Samuel always went back to his home in Ramah...There he built an altar to the LORD and judged Israel...