1 The|strong="H0853" men|strong="H0376" of|strong="H1121" Kiriath|strong="H7157" Jearim came|strong="H0935" and|strong="H1121" took|strong="H0853" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy|strong="H6942" Box up|strong="H5927" the|strong="H0853" hill|strong="H1389" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" house|strong="H1004" of|strong="H1121" Abinadab|strong="H0041" the|strong="H0853" priest. They|strong="H0376" performed|strong="H8104" a|strong="H0935" special ceremony to|strong="H0413" prepare|strong="H6942" Abinadab’s son|strong="H1121", Eleazar|strong="H0499", to|strong="H0413" guard|strong="H8104" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Holy|strong="H6942" Box.
2 The|strong="H3605" Box stayed|strong="H3427" there|strong="H1961" at|strong="H3427" Kiriath|strong="H7157" Jearim for|strong="H1004" a|strong="H1961" long|strong="H3117" time|strong="H3117".
3 Samuel|strong="H8050" told|strong="H0559" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478", “If|strong="H0518" you|strong="H0859" are|strong="H3478" really|strong="H0559" coming back|strong="H7725" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068" with|strong="H0413" all|strong="H3605" your|strong="H3068" heart|strong="H3824", you|strong="H0859" must|strong="H0853" throw away|strong="H5493" your|strong="H3068" foreign|strong="H5236" gods|strong="H0430" and|strong="H3068" your|strong="H3068" idols of|strong="H1004" Ashtoreth. You|strong="H0859" must|strong="H0853" give|strong="H7725" yourselves|strong="H0859" fully to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068" and|strong="H3068" serve|strong="H5647" only|strong="H0905" him|strong="H0413". Then|strong="H0853" he|strong="H0518" will|strong="H3068" save|strong="H5337" you|strong="H0859" from|strong="H7725" the|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430".”
4 So|strong="H5493" the|strong="H0853" Israelites|strong="H3478" threw away|strong="H5493" their|strong="H3068" statues of|strong="H1121" Baal|strong="H1168" and|strong="H1121" Ashtoreth. The|strong="H0853" Israelites|strong="H3478" served|strong="H5647" only|strong="H0905" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068".
5 Samuel|strong="H8050" said|strong="H0559", “All|strong="H3605" Israel|strong="H3478" must|strong="H0853" meet|strong="H6908" at|strong="H0413" Mizpah|strong="H4709". I|strong="H0559" will|strong="H3068" pray|strong="H6419" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068" for|strong="H1157" you|strong="H3605".”
6 The|strong="H0853" Israelites|strong="H3478" met together|strong="H6908" at|strong="H3478" Mizpah|strong="H4709". They|strong="H8033" got water|strong="H4325" and|strong="H1121" poured|strong="H8210" it|strong="H1931" out|strong="H8210" before|strong="H6440" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068". In|strong="H3068" this|strong="H1931" way|strong="H6440" they|strong="H8033" began a|strong="H3068" time|strong="H3117" of|strong="H1121" fasting|strong="H6684". They|strong="H8033" did|strong="H3117" not|strong="H4325" eat any|strong="H6440" food that|strong="H3117" day|strong="H3117", and|strong="H1121" they|strong="H8033" confessed their|strong="H3068" sins|strong="H2398". They|strong="H8033" said|strong="H0559", “We|strong="H3117" have|strong="H1121" sinned|strong="H2398" against|strong="H6440" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068".” So|strong="H6440" Samuel|strong="H8050" served|strong="H6440" as|strong="H3068" a|strong="H3068" judge|strong="H8199" of|strong="H1121" Israel|strong="H3478" at|strong="H3478" Mizpah|strong="H4709".
7 When|strong="H3588" the|strong="H6440" Philistines|strong="H6430" heard|strong="H8085" that|strong="H3588" the|strong="H6440" Israelites|strong="H3478" were|strong="H3478" meeting at|strong="H0413" Mizpah|strong="H4709", they|strong="H3588" went|strong="H5927" to|strong="H0413" fight them|strong="H0413". The|strong="H6440" Israelites|strong="H3478" were|strong="H3478" frightened when|strong="H3588" they|strong="H3588" heard|strong="H8085" the|strong="H6440" Philistines|strong="H6430" were|strong="H3478" coming|strong="H5927"
8 and|strong="H1121" said|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0413" Samuel|strong="H8050", “Don’t|strong="H0408" stop|strong="H0408" praying to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0559" LORD|strong="H3068" our|strong="H3068" God|strong="H0430" for|strong="H0413" us|strong="H0413". Ask|strong="H0559" him|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" save|strong="H3467" us|strong="H0413" from|strong="H4480" the|strong="H0559" Philistines|strong="H6430".”
9 Samuel|strong="H8050" took|strong="H3947" a|strong="H3947" baby lamb|strong="H2924" and|strong="H3068" offered|strong="H5927" it|strong="H3947" as|strong="H3068" a|strong="H3947" whole|strong="H3632" burnt|strong="H5930" offering|strong="H5927" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0413" LORD|strong="H3068". He|strong="H3068" prayed to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0413" LORD|strong="H3068" for|strong="H1157" Israel|strong="H3478", and|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0413" LORD|strong="H3068" answered|strong="H6030" his|strong="H3947" prayer.
10 The|strong="H6440" Philistines|strong="H6430" came|strong="H1961" closer|strong="H5066" and|strong="H3068" closer|strong="H5066" to|strong="H1961" fight|strong="H4421" the|strong="H6440" Israelites|strong="H3478" while|strong="H1961" Samuel|strong="H8050" offered|strong="H5927" the|strong="H6440" sacrifice. But|strong="H1961" then|strong="H1961", the|strong="H6440" LORD|strong="H3068" caused|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" loud|strong="H1419" clap of|strong="H3068" thunder|strong="H6963" to|strong="H1961" hit near|strong="H5066" the|strong="H6440" Philistines|strong="H6430". The|strong="H6440" thunder|strong="H6963" scared the|strong="H6440" Philistines|strong="H6430", and|strong="H3068" they|strong="H3117" became|strong="H1961" confused|strong="H2000", so|strong="H1961" the|strong="H6440" Israelites|strong="H3478" defeated|strong="H5062" them|strong="H5921" in|strong="H5921" battle|strong="H4421".
11 The|strong="H0853" men|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" Israel|strong="H3478" ran out|strong="H3318" of|strong="H0376" Mizpah|strong="H4709" and|strong="H3478" chased|strong="H7291" the|strong="H0853" Philistines|strong="H6430" all|strong="H5704" the|strong="H0853" way|strong="H5704" to|strong="H5704" Beth Car. They|strong="H0376" killed|strong="H5221" Philistine|strong="H6430" soldiers|strong="H0376" all|strong="H5704" along|strong="H0853" the|strong="H0853" way|strong="H5704".
12 After|strong="H5704" this|strong="H3068" Samuel|strong="H8050" set|strong="H7760" up|strong="H5704" a|strong="H3947" special stone|strong="H0068" to|strong="H0559" help|strong="H5826" people remember what God|strong="H3068" did. Samuel|strong="H8050" put|strong="H7760" the|strong="H0853" stone|strong="H0068" between|strong="H0996" Mizpah|strong="H4709" and|strong="H3068" Shen|strong="H8129" and|strong="H3068" named|strong="H8034" the|strong="H0853" stone|strong="H0068" “Stone|strong="H0068" of|strong="H3068" Help|strong="H5826".” Samuel|strong="H8050" said|strong="H0559", “The|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" helped|strong="H5826" us|strong="H7760" all|strong="H5704" the|strong="H0853" way|strong="H2008" to|strong="H0559" this|strong="H3068" place|strong="H7760".”
13 The|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" were|strong="H1961" defeated and|strong="H0935" did|strong="H3254" not|strong="H3808" enter|strong="H0935" the|strong="H3605" land|strong="H1366" of|strong="H3068" Israel|strong="H3478" again|strong="H5750". The|strong="H3605" LORD|strong="H3068" was|strong="H1961" against|strong="H3027" the|strong="H3605" Philistines|strong="H6430" during|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3605" rest|strong="H1961" of|strong="H3068" Samuel’s|strong="H8050" life|strong="H3117".
14 The|strong="H0853" Philistines|strong="H6430" had|strong="H0834" taken|strong="H3947" some|strong="H3027" cities|strong="H5892" from|strong="H7725" Israel|strong="H3478", but|strong="H1961" the|strong="H0853" Israelites|strong="H3478" won them|strong="H0853" back|strong="H7725". They|strong="H0834" recovered|strong="H7725" those|strong="H0834" cities|strong="H5892" throughout|strong="H5704" the|strong="H0853" Philistine|strong="H6430" area|strong="H1366", from|strong="H7725" Ekron|strong="H6138" to|strong="H5704" Gath|strong="H1661".
15 Samuel|strong="H8050" led|strong="H8199" Israel|strong="H3478" all|strong="H3605" his|strong="H3605" life|strong="H3117".
16 He|strong="H0853" went|strong="H1980" from|strong="H1980" place|strong="H4725" to|strong="H1980" place|strong="H4725" judging|strong="H8199" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478". Every|strong="H3605" year|strong="H8141" he|strong="H0853" traveled|strong="H1980" around|strong="H5437" the|strong="H3605" country|strong="H4725". He|strong="H0853" went|strong="H1980" to|strong="H1980" Bethel|strong="H1008", Gilgal|strong="H1537", and|strong="H1980" Mizpah|strong="H4709" and|strong="H1980" he|strong="H0853" judged|strong="H8199" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478" in|strong="H1980" all|strong="H3605" these|strong="H0428" places|strong="H4725".
17 But|strong="H3588" Samuel always went|strong="H1004" back|strong="H1004" to|strong="H3068" his|strong="H3068" home|strong="H1004" in|strong="H3068" Ramah|strong="H7414". There|strong="H8033" he|strong="H3588" built|strong="H1129" an|strong="H1129" altar|strong="H4196" to|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" and|strong="H3068" judged|strong="H8199" Israel|strong="H3478".