1And the men of Qiryath Ye‛arim came and took the ark of יהוה, and brought it into the house of Aḇinaḏaḇ on the hill, and set apart El‛azar his son to guard the ark of יהוה.

2And it came to be, from the day that the ark remained in Qiryath Ye‛arim, that the time increased, it came to be twenty years. And all the house of Yisra’ĕl lamented after יהוה.

3And Shemu’ĕl spoke to all the house of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “If you return to יהוה with all your hearts, then put away the foreign mighty ones and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts for יהוה, and serve Him only, so that He delivers you from the hand of the Philistines.”

4And the children of Yisra’ĕl put away the Ba‛als and Ashtaroth, and served יהוה only.

5And Shemu’ĕl said, “Gather all Yisra’ĕl to Mitspah and let me pray to יהוה for you.”

6And they gathered to Mitspah and drew water, and poured it out before יהוה. And they fasted that day, and said there, “We have sinned against יהוה.” And Shemu’ĕl rightly ruled the children of Yisra’ĕl at Mitspah.

7And when the Philistines heard that the children of Yisra’ĕl had gathered together at Mitspah, the princes of the Philistines went up against Yisra’ĕl. And the children of Yisra’ĕl heard of it, and were afraid of the Philistines.

8And the children of Yisra’ĕl said to Shemu’ĕl, “Do not cease to cry out to יהוה our Elohim for us, that He would save us from the hand of the Philistines.”

9And Shemu’ĕl took a suckling lamb and offered it as a burnt offering, completely, to יהוה. And Shemu’ĕl cried out to יהוה for Yisra’ĕl, and יהוה answered him.

10And it came to be, as Shemu’ĕl offered up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Yisra’ĕl. But יהוה thundered with a great noise on that day on the Philistines, and troubled them, and they were smitten before Yisra’ĕl.

11And the men of Yisra’ĕl went out from Mitspah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Bĕyth Kar.

12And Shemu’ĕl took a stone and set it up between Mitspah and Shĕn, and called its name Eḇen Ha‛ĕzer, saying, “Thus far יהוה has helped us.”

13Thus the Philistines were humbled, and no longer came into the border of Yisra’ĕl. And the hand of יהוה was against the Philistines all the days of Shemu’ĕl.

14And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Yisra’ĕl were returned to Yisra’ĕl, from Eqron to Gath. And Yisra’ĕl recovered its border from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Yisra’ĕl and the Amorites.

15And Shemu’ĕl rightly ruled Yisra’ĕl all the days of his life,

16and each year he made the rounds of Bĕyth Ěl, and Gilgal, and Mitspah, and rightly ruled Yisra’ĕl in all those places.

17Then he returned to Ramah, for his home was there. And there he rightly ruled Yisra’ĕl, and there he built an altar to יהוה.