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¹ The men of Kiryat-Ye`arim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Avinadav in the hill, and sanctified El`azar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. ² It happened, from the day that the ark abode in Kiryat-Ye`arim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Yisra'el lamented after the LORD.

³ Shemu'el spoke to all the house of Yisra'el, saying, If you do return to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the `Ashtarot from among you, and direct your hearts to the LORD, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Pelishtim. <sup>4</sup> Then the children of Yisra'el did put away the Ba`alim and the `Ashtarot, and served the LORD only. ⁵ Shemu'el said, Gather all Yisra'el to Mitzpah, and I will pray for you to the LORD. ⁶ They gathered together to Mitzpah, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. Shemu'el judged the children of Yisra'el in Mitzpah.

⁷ When the Pelishtim heard that the children of Yisra'el were gathered together at Mitzpah, the lords of the Pelishtim went up against Yisra'el. When the children of Yisra'el heard it, they were afraid of the Pelishtim. ⁸ The children of Yisra'el said to Shemu'el, "Don't cease to cry to the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Pelishtim." ⁹ Shemu'el took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering to the LORD: and Shemu'el cried to the LORD for Yisra'el; and the LORD answered him. ¹⁰ As Shemu'el was offering up the burnt offering, the Pelishtim drew near to battle against Yisra'el; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day on the Pelishtim, and confused them; and they were struck down before Yisra'el. ¹¹ The men of Yisra'el went out of Mitzpah, and pursued the Pelishtim, and struck them, until they came under Beit-Kar. ¹² Then Shemu'el took a stone, and set it between Mitzpah and Shen, and called the name of it Even-Ha`ezer, saying, Hitherto has the LORD helped us.

¹³ So the Pelishtim were subdued, and they came no more within the border of Yisra'el: and the hand of the LORD was against the Pelishtim all the days of Shemu'el. ¹⁴ The cities which the Pelishtim had taken from Yisra'el were restored to Yisra'el, from `Ekron even to Gat; and the border of it did Yisra'el deliver out of the hand of the Pelishtim. There was shalom between Yisra'el and the Amori. ¹⁵ Shemu'el judged Yisra'el all the days of his life. ¹⁶ He went from year to year in circuit to Beit-El and Gilgal, and Mitzpah; and he judged Yisra'el in all those places. ¹⁷ His return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Yisra'el: and he built there an altar to the LORD.