1 Kingdoms 7, verse 1. Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the covenant of the Lord safe.
Samuel as Judge in Israel
1 Kingdoms 7, verse 2. It came to pass that from the very day the ark was in Kirjath Jearim, the days multiplied to become twenty years. And all the house of Israel watched for the Lord. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 3. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, if you put away the foreign gods and the sacred groves from among you, and if you prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve Him alone, He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 4. So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the sacred groves for Ashtoreths, and served the Lord alone. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 5. And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 6. So they gathered at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out upon the earth before the Lord. And there they fasted on that day and said, “We sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 7. When the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines marched up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard of it, they were afraid before the Philistines. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 8. So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, and He will save us from the hand of the Philistines.” 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 9. And Samuel took one suckling lamb and offered it with all the people as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Then Samuel cried out to the Lord concerning Israel, and the Lord heard him. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 10. Now as Samuel was offering the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to do battle against Israel. But the Lord thundered with a loud noise against the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 11. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and struck them down below Beth Car. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 12. Then Samuel took one stone and set it up between Mizpah and the older one, and called it Ebenezer, a Stone of Help, saying, “The Lord helped us here.” 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 13. So the Lord humbled the Philistines, and they no longer came into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 14. And the cities which the Philistines took from the children of Israel were returned; they returned them to Israel from Ekron to Gath, and they took the coast of Israel out of the hand of the Philistines. There was peace between Israel and the Amorites. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 15. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 16. He went yearly on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those holy places. 1 Kingdoms 7, verse 17. But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the Lord.