Samuel Judges Israel 3And Samuel said to all the house of Israel,If you are returning to theLordwith all your heart, thenput away the foreign gods and theAshtaroth from among you anddirect your heart to theLordand serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.4So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served theLordonly. 5Then Samuel said, Gather all Israel atMizpah, and I will pray to theLordfor you.6So they gathered atMizpahand drew water and poured it out before theLordand fasted on that day and said there,We have sinned against theLord. And Samuel judged the people of Israel at Mizpah.7Now 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.8And the people of Israel said to Samuel, Do not cease to cry out to theLordour God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines.9So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to theLord. AndSamuel cried out to theLordfor Israel, and theLordanswered him.10As Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel.But theLordthundered with a mighty sound that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion, and they were defeated before Israel.11And the men of Israel went out from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them, as far as below Beth-car. 12Then Samueltook a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen[a]and called its name Ebenezer;[b]for he said, Till now theLordhas helped us.13So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel. And the hand of theLordwas against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.14The 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. 15Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.16And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. And he judged Israel in all these places.17Then he would return toRamah, for his home was there, and there also he judged Israel.And he built there an altar to theLord.