1Therefore men of Kiriathjearim came, and led again the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in Gibeah. And they hallowed Eleazar his son, that he should keep the ark of the Lord.

2And it was done, from which day the ark of the Lord dwelled in Kiriath-jearim, that the days were multiplied; for the twentieth year was now, after that Samuel began to teach the people; and all Israel rested after the Lord.

3And Samuel spake to all the house of Israel, and said, If in all your heart ye turn again to the Lord, do ye away alien gods, Baalim, and Ashtaroth, from the midst of you; and make ye ready your hearts to the Lord, and serve ye him alone; and he shall deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.

4Therefore the sons of Israel did away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord alone.

5And Samuel said, Gather ye all Israel into Mizpah, that I pray the Lord for you.

6And they came together into Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out in the Lord’s sight; and they fasted in that day, and said, Lord, we have sinned to thee. And Samuel deemed the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

7And the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel were gathered together in Mizpeh; and the princes of Philistines went up to Israel. And when the sons of Israel had heard this, they dreaded of the face of Philistines.

8And they said to Samuel or And Israel cried to Samuel, Cease thou not to cry for us to our Lord God, that he save us from the hand of Philistines.

9And Samuel took one sucking lamb, and offered it whole into burnt sacrifice to the Lord. And Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.

10And it was done, when Samuel offered the burnt sacrifice, that the Philistines began battle against Israel. And the Lord thundered with great thunder in that day upon the Philistines, and made them afeared; and they were slain of the sons of Israel.

11And the sons of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them unto the place that was under Bethcar.

12And Samuel took one stone, and put it betwixt Mizpeh, and Shen; and he called the name of that place The stone of help or Ebenezer. And he said, Hitherto the Lord hath helped us.

13And the Philistines were made low, and they added no more to come into the terms of Israel. And so the hand of the Lord was made [up] on Philistines in all the days of Samuel.

14And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel, were yielded again to Israel, from Ekron unto Gath, and the coasts of Gath; and the Lord delivered Israel from the hand of Philistines; and peace was betwixt Israel and Amorites.

15And Samuel deemed Israel all the days of his life, that is, till to the ordaining and confirming of Saul;

16and he went by each year, and compassed Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and he deemed Israel in the foresaid places.

17And he turned again into Ramah, for his house was there; and he deemed Israel there, and he builded there also an altar to the Lord.