7SO THE men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the ark of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to have charge of the ark of the Lord.H582H7157H935H5927H727H3068H935H1004H41H1389H6942H499H1121H8104H727H30682And the ark remained in Kiriath-jearim a very long time [nearly 100 years, through Samuel's entire judgeship, Saul's reign, and well into David's, when it was brought to Jerusalem]. For it was twenty years before all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord.H3117H727H3427H7157H3117H7235H6242H8141H1004H3478H5091H310H30683Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth [female deities] from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.H8050H559H1004H3478H559H7725H3068H3824H5493H5236H430H6252H8432H3559H3824H3068H5647H5337H3027H64304So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.H1121H3478H5493H1168H6252H5647H30685Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you.H8050H559H6908H3478H4708H6419H30686So they gathered at Mizpah 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 Israelites at Mizpah.H6908H4709H7579H4325H8210H6440H3068H6684H3117H559H2398H3068H8050H8199H1121H3478H47087Now when the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines.H6430H8085H1121H3478H6908H4708H5633H6430H5927H3478H1121H3478H8085H3372H6440H64308And the Israelites said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.H1121H3478H559H8050H2790H2199H3068H430H3467H3027H64309So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.H8050H3947H259H2461H2924H5927H5930H3632H3068H8050H2199H3068H3478H3068H603010As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered with a great voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.H8050H5927H5930H6430H5066H4421H3478H3068H7481H1419H6963H3117H6430H2000H5062H6440H347811And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and smote them as far as below Beth-car.H582H3478H3318H4709H7291H6430H5221H103312Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and he called the name of it Ebenezer [stone of help], saying, Heretofore the Lord has helped us.H8050H3947H259H68H7760H4709H8129H7121H8034H72H559H3068H582613So the Philistines were subdued and came no more into Israelite territory. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.H6430H3665H935H3254H1366H3478H3027H3068H6430H3117H805014The cities the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel rescued [the cities'] territory from the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.H5892H6430H3947H3478H7725H3478H6138H1661H1366H3478H5337H3027H6430H7965H3478H567
Samuel’s Ministry
15And Samuel judged Israel all his days.H8050H8199H3478H3117H241616And he went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and was judge for Israel in all those places.H1980H1767H8141H8141H5437H1008H1537H4709H8199H3478H472517Then he would return to Ramah, for his home was there; there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.H8666H7414H1004H8199H3478H1129H4196H3068