1 The men of Kiriath-jearim came, brought up the ark of the LORD, and took it into Abinadab's house on the hill. They consecrated his son Eleazar to watch over the ark of the LORD.
2 From the day the ark came to rest at Kiriath-jearim, a long time went by, twenty years, and the whole house of Israel mourned after the LORD.
3 Samuel told the whole house of Israel, "If you are coming back to the LORD with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth among you. Set your heart firmly on the LORD and serve him alone, and he will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines."
4 The children of Israel got rid of the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the LORD alone.
5 Samuel said, "Assemble all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf."
6 They assembled at Mizpah, drew water and poured it out before the LORD. They fasted that day and confessed there, "We have sinned against the LORD." Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
7 The Philistines heard that the children of Israel had assembled at Mizpah, and the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. Hearing this, the children of Israel were afraid of the Philistines.
8 The children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not keep silent; keep crying to the LORD our God for us, so that he will rescue us from the hand of the Philistines."
9 Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it whole as a burnt offering to the LORD. Samuel cried to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him.
10 While Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines came near to attack Israel. But that day the LORD thundered against the Philistines with a mighty voice and threw them into a panic, and they were beaten before Israel.
11 The men of Israel went out from Mizpah, chased the Philistines, and struck them down all the way to a point below Beth-car.
12 Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, "Up to here the LORD has helped us."
13 The Philistines were brought low and no longer came into Israel's territory, and the LORD's hand was against the Philistines all Samuel's days.
14 The towns the Philistines had taken from Israel came back to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel freed their territory from the Philistines' hand. There was peace as well between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.
16 Every year he went around on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah, judging Israel at all these places.
17 Then he would come back to Ramah, since his home was there; there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.