1?So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark?of the?Lord. They brought it to Abinadab’s?house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the?Lord.?2?The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim?a long time—twenty years in all.
Then all the people of Israel turned back to the?Lord.?3?So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning?to the?Lord?with all your hearts, then rid?yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths?and commit?yourselves to the?Lord?and serve him only,?and he will deliver?you out of the hand of the Philistines.”?4?So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the?Lord?only.
5?Then Samuel?said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,?and I will intercede?with the?Lord?for you.”?6?When they had assembled at Mizpah,?they drew water and poured?it out before the?Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the?Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader of Israel at Mizpah.
7?When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid?because of the Philistines.?8?They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying?out to the?Lord?our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.”?9?Then Samuel?took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the?Lord. He cried out to the?Lord?on Israel’s behalf, and the?Lord?answered him.
10?While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the?Lord?thundered?with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic?that they were routed before the Israelites.?11?The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.
12?Then Samuel took a stone?and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the?Lord?has helped us.”