1So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD. They brought it to the house of Abinadab on the hill and consecrated his son Eleazar to guard it.
2The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim for a long time — twenty years in all. During this time all Israel mourned and longed for the LORD.
3Then Samuel addressed all Israel: 'If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth idols. Commit yourselves to the LORD and serve only him, and he will deliver you from the Philistines.'
4So the Israelites put away their Baal idols and the Ashtoreth images and served the LORD alone.
5Then Samuel said, 'Bring all of Israel together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.'
6They assembled at Mizpah, drew water and poured it out before the LORD, fasted that day, and confessed, 'We have sinned against the LORD.' Samuel served as judge over the Israelites at Mizpah.
7When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the Philistine rulers marched out to attack them. When the Israelites heard this, they were terrified.
8They pleaded with Samuel, 'Please don't stop crying out to the LORD our God for us. Beg him to save us from the Philistines.'
9Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him.
10As Samuel was presenting the offering, the Philistines advanced to attack Israel. At that moment the LORD thundered with a tremendous crash against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that the Israelites routed them.
11The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, cutting them down all the way to Beth Car.
12Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, naming it Ebenezer — meaning 'Stone of Help' — saying, 'The LORD has helped us to this point.'
13The Philistines were subdued and stopped invading Israelite territory. The LORD's hand was against the Philistines throughout Samuel's lifetime.
14The towns the Philistines had captured from Israel — from Ekron to Gath — were returned to Israel. Israel also freed the surrounding territories from Philistine control. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15Samuel continued to judge Israel throughout his life.
16Each year he made a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in each of those places.
17Then he would return to Ramah, where his home was, and he judged Israel from there. He also built an altar to the LORD at Ramah.