1 The People of Israel Turn Back to the Lord
3One day, Samuel told all the people of Israel, “If you really want to turn back to the Lord, then prove it. Get rid of your foreign idols, including the ones of the goddess Astarte. Turn to the Lord with all your heart and worship only him. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.”
4The people got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte and began worshiping only the Lord.
5Then Samuel said, “Tell everyone in Israel to meet together at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”
6The Israelites met together at Mizpah with Samuel as their leader. They drew water from the well and poured it out as an offering to the Lord. On that same day they went without eating to show their sorrow, and they confessed they had been unfaithful to the Lord.
The Philistines Attack Israel7When the Philistine rulers found out about the meeting at Mizpah, they sent an army there to attack the people of Israel.
The Israelites were afraid when they heard that the Philistines were coming.
8“Don't stop praying!” they told Samuel. “Ask the Lord our God to rescue us.”
9-10 to remind Israel how much the Lord had helped them.
For as long as Samuel lived, the Lord helped Israel fight the Philistines.
14The Israelites were even able to recapture their towns and territory between Ekron and Gath.
Israel was also at peace with the Amorites.Samuel Is a Leader in Israel
15Samuel was a leader in Israel all his life.
16Every year he would go around to the towns of Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah where he served as judge for the people.
17Then he would go back to his home in Ramah and do the same thing there. He also had an altar built for the Lord at Ramah.
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