[1] The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the
Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines
encamped in Aphek. [2] The Philistines put themselves in array against
Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was struck before the
Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand
men. [3] When the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel
said, Why has Yahweh struck us today before the Philistines? Let us get the
ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among
us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies. [4] So the people sent to
Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of
Hosts, who sits [above] the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. [5] When the ark
of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a
great shout, so that the earth rang again. [6] When the Philistines heard
the noise of the shout, they said, What means the noise of this great shout
in the camp of the Hebrews? They understood that the ark of Yahweh was come
into the camp. [7] The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come
into the camp. They said, Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing
heretofore. [8] Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these
mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner
of plagues in the wilderness. [9] Be strong, and behave yourselves like
men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they
have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight. [10] The Philistines
fought, and Israel was struck, and they fled every man to his tent: and
there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand
footmen. [11] The ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, were slain. [12] There ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and
came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with earth on his
head. [13] When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road
watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into
the city, and told it, all the city cried out. [14] When Eli heard the
noise of the crying, he said, What means the noise of this tumult? The man
hurried, and came and told Eli. [15] Now Eli was ninety-eight years old;
and his eyes were set, so that he could not see. [16] The man said to Eli,
I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. He
said, How went the matter, my son? [17] He who brought the news answered,
Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great
slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas,
are dead, and the ark of God is taken. [18] It happened, when he made
mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his seat backward by
the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old
man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years. [19] His daughter-in-law,
Phinehas` wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard
the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her
husband were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came
on her. [20] About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to
her, Don`t be afraid; for you have brought forth a son. But she didn`t
answer, neither did she regard it. [21] She named the child Ichabod,
saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was
taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. [22] She said, The
glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.
