Samuel Leads Israel

It was a long time, twenty years in all,
that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim,
and all the people of Israel mourned
and sought after the Lord.
And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel,
"If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts,
then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths
and commit yourselves to the Lord
and serve Him only,
and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."
So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths,
and served the Lord only.

Then Samuel said,
"Assemble all Israel at Mizpah
and I will intercede with the Lord for you."
When they had assembled at Mizpah,
they drew water and poured it out before the Lord.
On that day they fasted and there they confessed,
"We have sinned against the Lord."
And Samuel was leader of Israel at Mizpah.

(I Samuel 7:2-6)