1 Then the men ofKirjath Jearim came and took the ark of theLord, and brought it into the house ofAbinadab on the hill, andconsecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of theLord.
Samuel Judges Israel
2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after theLord.
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If youreturn to theLordwith all your hearts,thenput away the foreign gods and theAshtoreths from among you, andprepare your hearts for theLord, andserve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 So the children of Israel put away theBaals and the Ashtoreths, and served theLordonly.
5 And Samuel said,“Gather all Israel to Mizpah, andI will pray to theLordfor you.”
6 So they gathered together at Mizpah,drew water, and poureditout before theLord. And theyfasted that day, and said there,“We have sinned against theLord.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
7 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heardofit,they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel,“Do not cease to cry out to theLordour God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 And Samuel took asuckling lamb and offereditasa whole burnt offering to theLord. ThenSamuel cried out to theLordfor Israel, and theLordanswered him.
10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel.But theLordthundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.
12 Then Samueltook a stone and setitup between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far theLordhas helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued, and theydid not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of theLordwas against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14 Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samueljudged Israel all the days of his life.
16 He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.
17 Buthe always returned to Ramah, for his homewasthere. There he judged Israel, and there hebuilt an altar to theLord.