1 Samuel 7

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

The men of Kiriath-jearim brought the ark of the LORD to Abinadab’s house and consecrated his son Eleazar to guard it, where it remained for twenty years while the house of Israel sought the LORD. Samuel instructed the Israelites to remove foreign gods and serve the LORD only, leading them to gather at Mizpah to fast, confess their sin, and water-pour before the LORD. When the Philistine rulers marched against the gathering, the frightened Israelites asked Samuel to intercede, and Samuel offered a burnt offering while the LORD answered with loud thunder that confused the Philistines. The men of Israel then pursued and struck down the fleeing Philistines all the way below Beth-car, after which Samuel set up a commemorative stone named Ebenezer. This victory halted Philistine invasions, restored previously captured cities from Ekron to Gath, established peace with the Amorites, and enabled Samuel to judge Israel annually throughout his life from his home in Ramah and along a circuit of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹Then the men of Kiriath-jearim came for the ark of the LORD and took it into Abinadab’s house on the hill. And they consecrated his son Eleazar to guard the ark of the LORD. ²And from that day a long time passed, twenty years in all, as the ark remained at Kiriath-jearim. And all the house of Israel mournfully sought the LORD. ³Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁴So the Israelites put away the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD. ⁵Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD on your behalf.” ⁶When they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the LORD. On that day they fasted, and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the LORD.” And Samuel judged the Israelites at Mizpah. ⁷When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers marched up toward Israel. And when the Israelites learned of this, they feared the Philistines ⁸and said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on behalf of Israel, and the LORD answered him. ¹⁰As the Philistines drew near to fight against Israel, Samuel was offering up the burnt offering. But that day the LORD thundered loudly against the Philistines and threw them into such confusion that they fled before Israel. ¹¹Then the men of Israel charged out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth-car. ¹²Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” ¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they stopped invading the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. ¹⁴The cities from Ekron to Gath, which the Philistines had taken, were restored to Israel, who also delivered the surrounding territory from the hand of the Philistines. And there was peace between the Israelites and the Amorites. ¹⁵So Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. ¹⁶Every year he would go on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all these places. ¹⁷Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.