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¹ AND the men of Koriath-narin came, and took up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and Abinadab consecrated Eleazar his son, who kept the ark of the LORD.² And it came to pass, from the day that the ark abode in Koriath-narin, that the time was long; for it was about twenty years; and all the house of Israel yearned after the LORD.

³ Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, If you return with all your heart to the LORD, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your heart unto the LORD, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.⁴ So the children of Israel put away Baal and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.⁵ And Samuel said, Gather all Israel at Mizpeh, and I will pray for you to the LORD.⁶ And they gathered together at Mizpeh, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpeh.

⁷ And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.⁸ And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Do not cease to pray before the LORD our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.⁹ And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it for a burnt offering wholly to the LORD; and Samuel prayed before the LORD for the children of Israel; and the LORD answered him.¹⁰ And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day against the Philistines, and threw them into confusion; and they were defeated before Israel.¹¹ And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh and pursued the Philistines and smote them as far as below Beth-jashan.¹² Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpeh and Beth-jashan, and called its name Rock of Help, and he said, Hitherto the LORD has helped us.

¹³ So the Philistines were defeated, 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.¹⁴ And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel from Ekron even to Gath, and the boundaries thereof. Thus the LORD delivered Israel from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.¹⁵ And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.¹⁶ And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el and Gilgal and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.¹⁷ And he always returned to Ramtha; for there was his house, and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD.