7The men of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord. They brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill, and they consecrated his son Eleazar to care for the Ark of the Lord.H582H7157H935H5927H727H3068H935H1004H41H1389H6942H499H1121H8104H727H30682A long time passed - it was twenty years - from the time the Ark came to reside in Kiriath-jearim, and all the house of Israel mourned because of the Lord.H3117H727H3427H7157H3117H7235H6242H8141H1004H3478H5091H310H3068
The Philistines are Defeated at Ebenezer
3Then Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, "If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, direct your hearts back to the Lord, and serve him only. Then he will deliver you from the control of the Philistines."H8050H559H1004H3478H559H7725H3068H3824H5493H5236H430H6252H8432H3559H3824H3068H5647H5337H3027H64304So the Israelites removed the Baals and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only.H1121H3478H5493H1168H6252H5647H30685Samuel said, "Bring all Israel together at Mizpah, and I'll pray to the Lord on your behalf."H8050H559H6908H3478H4708H6419H30686So they came together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out in the Lord's presence. On that day they fasted there and said, "We have sinned against the Lord." Then Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.H6908H4709H7579H4325H8210H6440H3068H6684H3117H559H2398H3068H8050H8199H1121H3478H47087When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine lords came up against Israel. When the Israelites heard this, they were afraid of the Philistines.H6430H8085H1121H3478H6908H4708H5633H6430H5927H3478H1121H3478H8085H3372H6440H64308The Israelites said to Samuel, "Don't stop crying out to the Lord our God for us that he may deliver us from the hand of the Philistines."H1121H3478H559H8050H2790H2199H3068H430H3467H3027H64309Then Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.H8050H3947H259H2461H2924H5927H5930H3632H3068H8050H2199H3068H3478H3068H603010While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines approached to attack Israel. But that day the Lord thundered against the Philistines and threw them into panic, and they were defeated before Israel.H8050H5927H5930H6430H5066H4421H3478H3068H7481H1419H6963H3117H6430H2000H5062H6440H347811The men of Israel went out from Mizpah, pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as to a point below Beth-car.H582H3478H3318H4709H7291H6430H5221H103312Then Samuel took a stone, placed it between Mizpah and Shen and named it Ebenezer. He said, "The Lord has helped us this far."H8050H3947H259H68H7760H4709H8129H7121H8034H72H559H3068H582613The Philistines were subdued, and they did not continue to enter the territory of Israel. The Lord continued to oppose the Philistines all during Samuel's life time.H6430H3665H935H3254H1366H3478H3027H3068H6430H3117H805014The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.H5892H6430H3947H3478H7725H3478H6138H1661H1366H3478H5337H3027H6430H7965H3478H56715Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.H8050H8199H3478H3117H241616He went on a circuit each year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places.H1980H1767H8141H8141H5437H1008H1537H4709H8199H3478H472517He would return to Ramah because his house was there, and judged Israel from there. He also built an altar to the Lord there.7H8666H7414H1004H8199H3478H1129H4196H3068