1Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the Lord and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the Lord.[ † ]Joshua 9:17Joshua 15:9-60Joshua 18:14Judges 18:121 Chronicles 13:5-61 Samuel 6:21Psalms 132:62 Samuel 6:3-4
2And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mournfully sought the Lord.
3Then 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 Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the Lord, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”[ † ]Leviticus 21:8Deuteronomy 30:2-101 Kings 8:48Isaiah 55:7Hosea 6:1Joel 2:12-14Genesis 35:2Joshua 24:14-23Judges 10:16Judges 2:131 Samuel 31:102 Chronicles 30:19Job 11:13
4So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the Lord.[ † ]Deuteronomy 6:13Deuteronomy 10:20Deuteronomy 13:4Joshua 24:14Matthew 4:10Luke 4:8
5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”[ † ]Judges 2:11Judges 10:16Judges 10:17Judges 20:11 Samuel 10:17
6When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.[ † ]1 Samuel 12:17-192 Samuel 14:14Judges 20:26Nehemiah 9:1-2Daniel 9:3-5Joel 2:12
7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines 8and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.”[ † ]Judges 10:101 Samuel 12:101 Kings 8:47Psalms 106:6
9Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.[ † ]1 Samuel 12:19-24Isaiah 37:4Leviticus 22:27 10As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel.[ † ]1 Samuel 12:18Psalms 99:6Jeremiah 15:1
11Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car.
12Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”[ † ]Joshua 10:102 Samuel 22:14-15Psalms 18:13-14
13So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.[ † ]Genesis 28:18Genesis 35:14Joshua 4:9Joshua 24:26Judges 13:1 14The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites.
15So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.[ † ]1 Samuel 13:5 16Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places. 17Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the Lord.[ † ]1 Samuel 12:111 Samuel 8:4