¹⁵ Samuel continued as Israel’s judge for the rest of his life.

⁶ So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.)

²⁰ All this took about 450 years.

“After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the prophet. ²¹ Then the people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for forty years.

The Lord Rescues His People

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers.

The Death of Samuel

25 Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah.

Nabal Angers David

Then David moved down to the wilderness of Maon.^[a]

¹¹ Then the Lord sent Gideon,^[a] Bedan,^[b] Jephthah, and Samuel^[c] to save you, and you lived in safety.

Samuel’s Farewell Address

12 Then Samuel addressed all Israel: “I have done as you asked and given you a king.

¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the Lord gave Othniel victory over him. ¹¹ So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.