71 And 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 keep the ark of the Lord . 2 From the day that the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim , the time was long , for it was twenty years ; and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord .
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel , saying , " If you return to the Lord with all your heart , remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone ; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines ." 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord alone . 5 Then Samuel said , "Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to the Lord for you." 6 They gathered to 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 sons of Israel at Mizpah .
7 Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered to Mizpah , the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel . And when the sons of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines . 8 Then the sons of Israel 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 ." 9 Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to the Lord ; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel and the Lord answered him. 10 Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering , and the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel . But the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines and confused them, so that they were routed before Israel . 11 The men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines , and struck them down as far as below e Beth-car . 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen , and named e it Ebenezer , saying , "Thus far the Lord has helped us."
13 So the Philistines were subdued and they did not come anymore within the border of Israel . And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel . 14 The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel , from Ekron even to Gath ; and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines . So there was peace between Israel and the Amorites . 15 Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life . 16 He used to go annually e on circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah , and he judged Israel in all these places . 17 Then his return was to Ramah , for his house was there , and there he judged Israel ; and he built there an altar to the Lord .
