1 Samuel 7

7 ¹ So the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of our Father and brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of our Father. ² From the day the ark came to rest at Kiriath-jearim, a long time passed — twenty years — and the whole house of Israel mourned and sought after our Father.

³ Then Samuel spoke to the whole house of Israel: "If you are returning to our Father with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth among you, set your hearts on our Father, and serve him only — and he will rescue you from the Philistines." ⁴ So the people of Israel got rid of the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served our Father only.

⁵ Then Samuel said, "Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to our Father for you." ⁶ So they gathered at Mizpah, drew water and poured it out before our Father, and they fasted that day and confessed there, "We have sinned against our Father." And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. ¹ 1 v6 Pouring out water before God was a ritual act of prayer, mourning, and self-humbling.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines marched up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. ⁸ And the people of Israel said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to our Father for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines."

⁹ So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to our Father. And Samuel cried out to him for Israel, and he answered him. ¹⁰ As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But that day our Father thundered with a mighty voice against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they were routed before Israel. ¹¹ Then the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down as far as below Beth-car.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and he named it Ebenezer, saying, "Up to now our Father has helped us." ² 2 v12 Ebenezer means "stone of help" — Samuel set it up to remember how far our Father had carried them.

¹³ So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade the territory of Israel again. And our Father's hand was against the Philistines throughout Samuel's lifetime. ¹⁴ The cities the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel recovered their territory from the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

Samuel Judges Israel Year by Year

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶ Year by year he went on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. ¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there too he judged Israel. And there he built an altar to our Father.