1 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of theLordand took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill.They consecrated his son Eleazar to take care of it.
Victory at Mizpah
2 Time went by until 20 years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel began to seek theLord.
3 Samuel told them, “If youare returning to theLordwith all your heart,get rid of the foreign godsand the Ashtoreths that are among you, dedicate yourselves totheLord, and worship only Him.Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.”
4 So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtorethsand only worshiped theLord.
5 Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah,and I will pray to theLordon your behalf.”
6 When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in theLord’s presence.They fasted that day,and there they confessed, “We have sinned against theLord.”And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines.
8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to theLordour God for us, so that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines.”
9 Then Samuel took a young lamband offered it as a whole burnt offering to theLord. He cried out to theLordon behalf of Israel, and theLordanswered him.
10 Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel. TheLordthundered loudlyagainst the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.
11 Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.
12 Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it uprightbetween Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,explaining, “TheLordhas helped us to this point.”
13 So the Philistines were subduedanddid not invade Israel’s territory again.TheLord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life.
14 The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.
16 Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations.
17 Then he would return to Ramahbecause his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to theLordthere.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/1SA/7-a2bdd1feca42d60b5b0ecaf33b58016b.mp3?version_id=72—