1 Samuel 7:5-17

5Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to 1Mizpah and 2I will pray to the Lord for you.” 6So they gathered to Mizpah, and drew water and 3poured it out before the Lord, and 4fasted on that day and said there, “5We have sinned against the Lord.” And Samuel judged the sons of Israel at Mizpah.

7Now when the Philistines heard that the sons of Israel had gathered at Mizpah, the governors of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the sons of Israel heard about it, 6they were afraid of the Philistines. 8So the sons of Israel said to Samuel, “7Do not stop crying out to the Lord our God for us, that He will save us from the hand of the Philistines!” 9Samuel took 8a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord; and Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and 9the Lord answered him. 10Now Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, and the Philistines advanced to battle Israel. But 10the Lord thundered with a great 11thunder on that day against the Philistines and 12confused them, so that they were struck down before Israel. 11And the men of Israel came out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and killed them as far as below Beth-car.

12Then Samuel 13took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen, and named it 14Ebenezer, saying, “15So far the Lord has helped us.” 1316So the Philistines were subdued, and 17they did not come anymore within the border of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14The cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even to Gath; and Israel 18recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. So there was peace between Israel and 19the Amorites.

15Now Samuel 20judged Israel all the days of his life. 16And he used to go annually on a circuit to 21Bethel, 22Gilgal, and 23Mizpah, and he judged Israel in all these places. 17Then he would make his return to 24Ramah, because his house was there, and there he also judged Israel; and there he 25built an altar to the Lord.