1 Samuel 7:2-8:22

Christian Standard Bible

Victory at Mizpah

² Time went by until twenty years had passed since the ark had been taken to Kiriath-jearim. Then the whole house of Israel longed for the Lord. ³ Samuel told them, “If you^(A) are returning to the Lord^(B) with all your heart,^(C) get rid of the foreign gods^(D) and the Ashtoreths that are among you, set your hearts on the Lord, and worship only him.^(E) Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” ⁴ So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths^(F) and only worshiped the Lord.

⁵ Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah,^(G) and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”^{(H) 6} When they gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out in the Lord’s presence.^(I) They fasted that day,^(J) and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.”^(K) And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. When the Israelites heard about it, they were afraid because of the Philistines. ⁸ The Israelites said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, so that he will save us from the Philistines.”

⁹ Then Samuel took a young lamb^(L) and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.^{(M) 10} Samuel was offering the burnt offering as the Philistines approached to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly^(N) against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they were defeated by Israel.^{(O) 11} Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines striking them down all the way to a place below Beth-car.

¹² Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright^(P) between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[a] explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” ¹³ So the Philistines were subdued^(Q) and^[b] did not invade Israel’s territory again.^(R) The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life. ¹⁴ The cities from Ekron to Gath, which they had taken from Israel, were restored; Israel even rescued their surrounding territories from Philistine control. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵ Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.^{(S) 16} Every year he would go on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah and would judge Israel at all these locations. ¹⁷ Then he would return to Ramah^(T) because his home was there, he judged Israel there, and he built an altar to the Lord there.

Israel’s Demand for a King

8 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.^{(U) 2} His firstborn son’s name was Joel and his second was Abijah. They were judges in Beer-sheba.^{(V) 3} However, his sons did not walk in his ways—they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.^(W)

⁴ So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah.^{(X) 5} They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”^(Y)

⁶ When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand wrong, so he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.^{(Z) 8} They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me,^[c] since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. ⁹ Listen to them, but solemnly warn them^(AA) and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them.”

¹⁰ Samuel told all the Lord’s words to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹ He said, “These are the rights of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and put them to his use in his chariots, on his horses, or running in front of his chariots. ¹² He can appoint them for his use as commanders of thousands or commanders of fifties,^(AB) to plow his ground and reap his harvest, or to make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots. ¹³ He can take your daughters to become perfumers, cooks, and bakers. ¹⁴ He can take your best fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his servants.^{(AC) 15} He can take a tenth of your grain and your vineyards and give them to his officials and servants. ¹⁶ He can take your male servants, your female servants, your best cattle,^[d] and your donkeys and use them for his work. ¹⁷ He can take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves can become his servants. ¹⁸ When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves,^(AD) but the Lord won’t answer you on that day.”^(AE)

¹⁹ The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. ²⁰ Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us,^(AF) and fight our battles.”

²¹ Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. ²² “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.”^(AG)

Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”