Samuel Judges Israel

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

So they gathered at Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Israel Demands a King

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

All this took about 450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.