11. Then there were the judges, each of them famous in their own right, who never fell into idolatry and never abandoned the Lord.
12. May their memory be honoured! May these whom we honour spring from the grave to new life in their descendants!
13. Samuel was loved by the Lord. As the Lord's prophet he established the kingdom and appointed rulers for the people.
14. He judged the nation in accordance with the Law of the Lord, and the Lord protected Israel.
15. Because Samuel was faithful, he was accepted as a true prophet. People trusted him as a seer because of his words.
16. When his enemies were threatening him from every side, he called upon the mighty Lord and offered him a young lamb as a sacrifice.
17. Then the Lord thundered from heaven with a mighty roar
18. and destroyed all the enemy rulers of Philistia.