The men of Kiriath-jearim came and took up the ark of Yahweh and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to guard the ark of Yahweh.
And it came to pass, from the day that the ark stayed in Kiriath-jearim, that a long time passed, for it was 20 years, and all the house of Israel lamented after Yahweh.
Samuel Judges Israel
Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you are returning to Yahweh with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to Yahweh and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served Yahweh only.
Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah and I will pray to Yahweh for you.”
So they gathered together to Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before Yahweh, and they fasted on that day and said there, “We have sinned against Yahweh.” And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.
When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to Yahweh our God for us, so that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.”
And Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it for a whole burnt offering to Yahweh, and Samuel cried out to Yahweh for Israel, and Yahweh answered him.
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel, but Yahweh thundered with a loud sound on the Philistines on that day and threw them into a panic; and they were struck down before Israel.
Then the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them down as far as below Beth-car.
Then Samuel took a stone and put it between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer, saying, “Yahweh helped us here.”
So the Philistines were subdued and they no longer came into the territory of Israel. And the hand of Yahweh was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
The cities that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath, and Israel recovered its territory out of the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
And he went from year to year in a circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all those places.
Then he would return to Ramah because his house was there and he judged Israel there. And he built an altar to Yahweh there.