7 So the men of Kirʹi·ath-jeʹa·rim came and took the Ark of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} up into the house of A·binʹa·dab on the hill, and they sanctified his son Al·e·aʹzar to guard the Ark of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.
2 A long time elapsed, 20 years in all, from the day of the Ark’s coming to Kirʹi·ath-jeʹa·rim, and all the house of Isra'Al began to seek after Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. 3 Samuel then said to all the house of Isra'Al: “If you are returning to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} with all your heart, put away the foreign gods and the Ashʹto·reth images from among you, and direct your heart unswervingly to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} and serve only him, and he will rescue you from the hand of the Phi·lisʹtines.” 4 At that the Isra'Al·ites got rid of the Baʹals and the Ashʹto·reth images and served only Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.
5 Then Samuel said: “Gather all Isra'Al together at Mizʹpah, and I will pray to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} in your behalf.” 6 So they gathered together at Mizʹpah, and they drew water and poured it out before Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} and kept a fast on that day. There they said: “We have sinned against Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.” And Samuel began serving as judge over the Isra'Al·ites in Mizʹpah.
7 When the Phi·lisʹtines heard that the Isra'Al·ites had gathered together at Mizʹpah, the lords of the Phi·lisʹtines went up against Isra'Al. When the Isra'Al·ites heard of it, they were afraid because of the Phi·lisʹtines. 8 So the Isra'Al·ites said to Samuel: “Do not stop calling to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} our Al {pre. Ahl} to help us and to save us from the hand of the Phi·lisʹtines.” 9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}; and Samuel called to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} for help in behalf of Isra'Al, and Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} answered him. 10 As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Phi·lisʹtines advanced for battle against Isra'Al. Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} now caused it to thunder loudly on that day against the Phi·lisʹtines, and He threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Isra'Al. 11 At that the men of Isra'Al went out from Mizʹpah and pursued the Phi·lisʹtines, striking them down as far as south of Beth-car. 12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizʹpah and Yeshʹa·nah and named it Eb·en·eʹzer, for he said: “Until now Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} has helped us.” 13 Thus the Phi·lisʹtines were subdued, and they did not come again into the territory of Isra'Al; and the hand of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} continued against the Phi·lisʹtines all the days of Samuel. 14 Also, the cities that the Phi·lisʹtines had taken from Isra'Al were returned to Isra'Al, from Ekʹron to Gath, and Isra'Al recovered their territory from the hand of the Phi·lisʹtines.
There was also peace between Isra'Al and the Amʹor·ites.
15 Samuel kept on judging Isra'Al throughout his life. 16 Each year he traveled in a circuit to Bethʹel, Gilʹgal, and Mizʹpah, and he judged Isra'Al in all these places. 17 But he would return to Raʹmah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Isra'Al. He built an altar there to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.