1 Samuel 7

¹ Men from Kiriath Jearim came down. They picked up the ark of Yahweh and carried it up the hill to Abinadab's house. They set apart his son Eleazar to guard the ark. To watch it day and night.

² Twenty years. The ark sat on that hill for twenty long years. All of Israel cried out for Yahweh. They wanted him back so bad it hurt.

⁴ Israel did it. They threw away their Baal statues. They smashed Ashtoreth into dust. They served Yahweh alone.

⁶ Israel came together at Mizpah. They drew up water and poured it out on the ground before Yahweh. They went without food all day. "We have sinned against Yahweh," they said out loud. And Samuel became their judge right there.

⁸ The people begged Samuel. "Do not stop praying! Keep crying out to Yahweh our God! Beg him to save us from the Philistines!"