Thus the word of Samuel
came
to all
Israel
. Now Israel
went
out to meet
the Philistines
in battle
and camped
beside
aEbenezer
while the Philistines
camped
in bAphek
.
The Philistines drew
up in battle
array to meet
Israel
. When the battle
spread
, Israel
was 1defeated
before
the Philistines
who killed
about four
thousand
men
on the battlefield
.
When the people came
into the camp
, the elders
of Israel
said
, " aWhy
has the LORD
defeated
us today
before
the Philistines
? bLet us take
to ourselves from Shiloh
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
, that 1it may come
among
us and deliver
us from the power
of our enemies
."
So the people sent
to Shiloh
, and from there
they carried
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
of hosts
awho sits
above the cherubim
; and the two
sons
of Eli
, Hophni
and Phinehas
, were there
with the ark
of the covenant
of God
.
As the ark of the covenant
of the LORD
came
into the camp
, aall
Israel
shouted
with a great
shout
, so that the earth
resounded
.
When the Philistines heard
the noise
of the shout
, they said
, "What
does the noise
of this
great
shout
in the camp
of the Hebrews
mean?" Then they understood
that the ark
of the LORD
had come
into the camp
.
The Philistines were afraid
, for they said
, "God
has come
into the camp
." And they said
, " aWoe
to us! For nothing
like this
has happened
before
.
"Woe to us! Who
shall deliver
us from the hand
of these
mighty
gods
? These
are the gods
who smote
the Egyptians
with all
kinds of plagues
in the wilderness
.
" aTake courage
and be men
, O Philistines
, or
you will become
slaves
to the Hebrews
, bas they have been
slaves
to you; therefore, be men
and fight
."
So the Philistines fought
and aIsrael
was 1defeated
, and bevery
man
fled
to his tent
; and the slaughter
was very
great
, for there fell
of Israel
thirty
thousand
foot
soldiers
.
And the ark of God
was taken
; and athe two
sons
of Eli
, Hophni
and Phinehas
, died
.
Now a man of Benjamin
ran
from the battle
line
and came
to Shiloh
the same
day
with ahis clothes
torn
and 1dust
on his head
.
When he came, behold
, aEli
was sitting
on his seat
1by the road
eagerly watching
, because
his heart
was trembling
for the ark
of God
. So the man
came
to tell
it in the city
, and all
the city
cried
out.
When Eli heard
the noise
of the outcry
, he said
, "What
does the noise
of this
commotion
mean?" Then the man
came
hurriedly
and told
Eli
.
Now Eli was ninety-eight
years
old
, and ahis eyes
were set
so that he could
not see
.
The man said
to Eli
, "I am the one who came
from the battle
line
. Indeed, I escaped
from the battle
line
today
." And he said
, " aHow
did things
go
, my son
?"
Then the one who brought the news
replied
, "Israel
has fled
before
the Philistines
and there has also
been
a great
slaughter
among the people
, and your two
sons
also
, Hophni
and Phinehas
, are dead
, and the ark
of God
has been taken
."
When he mentioned the ark
of God
, 1 aEli fell
off
the seat
backward
beside
the gate
, and his neck
was broken
and he died
, for 2he was old
and heavy
. Thus he judged
Israel
forty
years
.
Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas's
wife
, was pregnant
and about to give
birth
; and when she heard
the news
that the ark
of God
was taken
and that her father-in-law
and her husband
had died
, she kneeled
down
and gave
birth
, for her pains
came
upon her.
And about the time of her death
the women who stood
by her said
to her, " aDo not be afraid
, for you have given
birth
to a son
." But she did not answer
or pay
attention
.
And she called the boy
1Ichabod
, saying
, " aThe glory
has departed
from Israel
," because
bthe ark
of God
was taken
and because
of her father-in-law
and her husband
.
She said, "The glory
has departed
from Israel
, for the ark
of God
was taken
."