1Samuel:7:2-17

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* And it came to pass , from the time the ark remained in Kiryath –ye ’arim , and the time was long , and it was twenty years : that all the house of Israel followed anxiously after the Lord . * And Samuel said unto all the house of Israel , as followeth , If with all your heart ye do return unto the Lord , then put away the gods of the stranger and the ‘Ashtaroth from your midst , and direct your heart unto the Lord , and serve him alone : and then will he deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines . * Then did the children of Israel put away the Be ’alim and the ‘Ashtaroth , and served the Lord alone . * And Samuel said , Assemble all Israel together at Mizpah , and I will pray in your behalf unto the Lord . * And they assembled themselves together at 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 children of Israel in Mizpah . * And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had assembled themselves at Mizpah , the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel . And when the children of Israel heard it , they were afraid of the Philistines . * And the children of Israel said to Samuel , Do not abstain , so as not to cry for us unto the Lord our God , that he may help us out of the hand of the Philistines . * And Samuel took one sucking lamb , and offered it for an entire burnt –offering unto the Lord : and Samuel cried unto the Lord in behalf of Israel ; and the Lord answered him . * And as Samuel was offering up the burnt –offering , the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel ; but the Lord thundered with a loud noise on that day over the Philistines , and brought them into confusion , and they were smitten before Israel . * And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah , and pursued the Philistines , and smote them , as far as below Beth –car . * And Samuel took one stone , and set it between Mizpah and Shen , and called its name Eben –ha ’ezer , saying , As far as this hath the Lord helped us . * So were the Philistines humbled , and they came no more into the territory of Israel ; and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel . * And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel came again to Israel , from ‘Ekron even unto Gath , and their territory did Israel deliver out of the hand of the Philistines . And there was peace between Israel and the Emorites . * And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life . * And he went from year to year and traveled in circuit to Beth –el , and Gilgal , and Mizpah , and judged Israel in all these places . * And his return was to Ramah ; for there was his house ; and there he judged Israel : and he built there an altar unto the Lord .

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