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the men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated his son Eleazar to have charge of the ark of the Lord.
2 From the day the ark was taken to Kiriath-jearim it remained a long time, some twenty years; and all the house of Israel mourned and searched after the Lord.
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, and said, “If you do return to the Lord with all your heart, then get rid of all the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths that are among you. Dedicate yourselves to the Lord and serve Him only, and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, and they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and confessed there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel became the leader of the Israelites there at Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had assembled together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 The people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord heard him.
10 While Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to do battle against Israel. But that day the Lord thundered with a great thunder against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were routed before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down as far as an area near Beth-car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and named it Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord has helped us this far.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not invade the territory of Israel again; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities which the Philistines had captured from Ekron to Gath were restored to Israel; and Israel also recovered the surrounding territory from the control of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went on a circuit from year to year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel at all those locations. 17 But he always returned to Ramah, where his home was, and he judged Israel there. And he built an altar to the Lord there.