Samuel Judges Israel

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, (A)“If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then (B)put away the foreign gods and the (C)Ashtaroth from among you and (D)direct your heart to the Lord (E)and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.

Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at (F)Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” So they gathered at (G)Mizpah (H)and drew water and poured it out before the Lord (I)and fasted on that day and said there, (J)“We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah. Now when the Philistines heard that the people of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the people of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. And the people of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. And (K)Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel. (L)But the Lord thundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car.

12 Then Samuel (M)took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a] and called its name Ebenezer;[b] for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.” 13 (N)So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath, and Israel delivered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:12 Hebrew; Septuagint, Syriac Jeshanah
  2. 1 Samuel 7:12 Ebenezer means stone of help

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, dedicate yourselves to[a] the Lord, and worship only Him.(E) Then He will rescue you from the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites removed the Baals and the Ashtoreths(F) and only worshiped the Lord.

Samuel said, “Gather all Israel at Mizpah,(G) and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.”(H) 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.

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. 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 hand of the Philistines.”

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 drew near to fight against Israel. The Lord thundered loudly(N) against the Philistines that day and threw them into such confusion that they fled before 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,[b] explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.” 13 So the Philistines were subdued(Q) and[c] 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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 7:3 Lit you and set your hearts on
  2. 1 Samuel 7:12 = Stone of Help
  3. 1 Samuel 7:13 LXX reads The Lord humbled the Philistines and they