1Then the people of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the
Further Conflict with the Philistines
2It was quite a long time – some twenty years in all – that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people of Israel longed for the
3Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the
4So the Israelites removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the
5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the
6After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the
7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep crying out to the
9So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the
10As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel. But on that day the
11Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.
12Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Up to here the
13So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the
14The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15So Samuel led Israel all the days of his life.
16Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places.
17Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged Israel there and built an altar to the