7 So men came from Kiriath-Jearim to fetch the Lord 's Covenant Box. They took it to Abinadab's house. His house was on a hill. They chose his son, Eleazar, to take care of the Lord 's Covenant Box as his special job.
2 The Covenant Box stayed at Kiriath-Jearim for a long time. It was there for 20 years. During this time, the Israelites were sad. They prayed for the Lord to help them again.
3 Then Samuel said to all the Israelite people, ‘If you truly want to turn back to the Lord , you must show that you mean it. You must remove all your foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. [ a ] You must give your lives completely to the Lord . You must worship only the Lord . If you do that, he will save you from the power of the Philistines.’
4 So the Israelites removed all their idols of the false gods called Baal and Ashtoreth. They only worshipped the Lord .
5 Then Samuel told all the Israelites, ‘Meet together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you there.’
6 So they all met together at Mizpah. They got water from a well and they poured it out for the Lord . They did not eat food that day. They prayed and they said, ‘We have done bad things against the Lord .’
Samuel became leader of the Israelite people at Mizpah.
7 The Philistines heard the news that the Israelites had met together at Mizpah. So the Philistine rulers led their people to attack the Israelites. When the Israelites heard about this, they became very afraid of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, ‘Pray to the Lord our God. Do not stop. Ask him to help us. Ask him to save us from the Philistines.’ 9 So Samuel took a baby lamb. He gave it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord . Samuel asked the Lord to help the Israelites. The Lord answered his prayer in this way:
10 While Samuel was giving the burnt offerings to the Lord , the Philistines moved nearer to attack the Israelites. But the Lord caused a very loud noise of thunder to frighten the Philistines. They became very confused and they started to run away from the Israelites. 11 Then the Israelite men came out from Mizpah. They chased the Philistines as far as a place near Beth-Kar. They killed the Philistines as they chased them.
12 After that, Samuel took a stone. He fixed it in the ground between Mizpah and Shen. He called the stone Ebenezer. [ b ] He said, ‘The Lord has helped us all this way.’
13 That is how the Israelites won the fight against the Philistines. The Philistines did not attack Israel land again. All the time that Samuel was alive, the Lord stopped the Philistines from attacking Israel.
14 The Israelites took back the towns and the land that the Philistines had taken from them. These towns were between Ekron and Gath. Also, the Israelites and the Amorites did not fight against each other.
15 Samuel continued to be the leader of the Israelites while he was alive. 16 Every year, he travelled to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah. In all those towns he was a judge for the Israelite people. 17 But he always returned to his home at Ramah. He was a judge for the Israelite people there too. He built an altar in Ramah to worship the Lord there.
7 The men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the Lord ’s Holy Box up the hill to the house of Abinadab the priest. They performed a special ceremony to prepare Abinadab’s son, Eleazar, to guard the Lord ’s Holy Box. 2 The Box stayed there at Kiriath Jearim for a long time.
Twenty years passed while the Holy Box was in Kiriath Jearim, and the Israelites began to follow the Lord again. 3 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.”
4 So the Israelites threw away their statues of Baal and Ashtoreth. The Israelites served only the Lord .
5 Samuel said, “All Israel must meet at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you.”
6 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.
7 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 8 and said to Samuel, “Don’t stop praying to the Lord our God for us. Ask him to save us from the Philistines.”
9 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. 10 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. 11 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.
12 After this Samuel set up a special stone to help people remember what God did. Samuel put the stone between Mizpah and Shen [ a ] and named the stone “Stone of Help.” [ b ] Samuel said, “The Lord helped us all the way to this place.”
13 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. 14 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.
15 Samuel led Israel all his life. 16 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. 17 But Samuel always went back to his home in Ramah. There he built an altar to the Lord and judged Israel.
7 And the men of Kirjathjearim 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 .
2 And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord .
3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord , and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4 Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.
5 And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord .
6 And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord , and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord . And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
7 And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9 And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord : and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.
10 And as 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 upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.
12 Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16 And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
17 And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the Lord .
7 And the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and ( A ) brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they [ a ] consecrated his son Eleazar to watch over the ark of the Lord . 2 From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim, the [ b ] time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel [ c ] mourned after the Lord .
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “ ( B ) If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then ( C ) remove the foreign gods and the ( D ) Ashtaroth from among you, and ( E ) direct your hearts to the Lord and ( F ) serve Him alone; and He will save you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord alone.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to ( G ) Mizpah and ( H ) I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and ( I ) poured it out before the Lord , and ( J ) fasted on that day and said there, “ ( K ) We have sinned against the Lord .” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.
7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the governors of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard about it , ( L ) they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “ ( M ) Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines!” 9 Samuel took ( N ) a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord ; and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and ( O ) the Lord answered him. 10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines advanced to battle Israel. But ( P ) the Lord thundered with a great [ d ] thunder on that day against the Philistines and ( Q ) confused them, so that they were struck down before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel came out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and killed them as far as below Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel ( R ) took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it [ e ] Ebenezer, saying, “ [ f ] So far the Lord has helped us.” 13 ( S ) So the Philistines were subdued, and ( T ) they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel [ g ] recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and ( U ) the Amorites.
15 Now Samuel ( V ) judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 And he used to go annually on a circuit to ( W ) Bethel, ( X ) Gilgal, and ( Y ) Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. 17 Then he would make his return to ( Z ) Ramah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Israel; and there he ( AA ) built an altar to the Lord .
7 1 So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark ( A ) of the Lord . They brought it to Abinadab’s ( B ) house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord . 2 The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim ( C ) a long time—twenty years in all.
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord . ( D ) 3 So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning ( E ) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid ( F ) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths ( G ) and commit ( H ) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, ( I ) and he will deliver ( J ) 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 ( K ) said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, ( L ) and I will intercede ( M ) with the Lord for you.” 6 When they had assembled at Mizpah, ( N ) they drew water and poured ( O ) 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 ] ( P ) 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 ( Q ) because of the Philistines. 8 They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying ( R ) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel ( S ) 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. ( T )
10 While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered ( U ) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic ( V ) 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 ( W ) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, [ b ] ( X ) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued ( Y ) 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 ( Z ) 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. ( AA )
15 Samuel ( AB ) continued as Israel’s leader ( AC ) all ( AD ) the days of his life. 16 From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel ( AE ) to Gilgal ( AF ) to Mizpah, judging ( AG ) Israel in all those places. 17 But he always went back to Ramah, ( AH ) where his home was, and there he also held court ( AI ) for Israel. And he built an altar ( AJ ) there to the Lord .
