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Samuel rules in Israel

The Covenant Box stayed at Kiriath-Jearim for a long time. It was there for 20 years. During this time, the Israelites were sad. They prayed for the Lord to help them again.

Then Samuel said to all the Israelite people, ‘If you truly want to turn back to the Lord, you must show that you mean it. You must remove all your foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth.[a] You must give your lives completely to the Lord. You must worship only the Lord. If you do that, he will save you from the power of the Philistines.’

So the Israelites removed all their idols of the false gods called Baal and Ashtoreth. They only worshipped the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. 7:3 Ashtoreth was a false god that the Canaanite people worshipped.

The ark remained at Kiriath Jearim(A) a long time—twenty years in all.

Samuel Subdues the Philistines at Mizpah

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord.(B) So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning(C) to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid(D) yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths(E) and commit(F) yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,(G) and he will deliver(H) you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.

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