FIRST SAMUEL

 

1 Samuel Chapter 4

1 ¶ And Samuel’s words reached all of Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and camped beside Ebenezer: while the Philistines camped in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines lined themselves up in battle formation against Israel: and when they came together in battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines: who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.

3 And when the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the LORD put us to rout us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh, so that, when it comes among us, it may save us from the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.

6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean? And when they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! for such a thing has not happened before.

8 Woe to us! who will deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that struck the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and act like men, O you Philistines, so that you do not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: act like men, and fight.

10 ¶ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.

11 And the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 ¶ Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and arrived in Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn, and with dirt on his head.

13 And when he arrived, Eli was sitting on a seat by the roadside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man went into the city, and told what happened, all the people cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What does this uproar mean? And the man came hastily, and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see.

16 And the man said to Eli, I have come from the army, and I fled from the battle today. And Eli asked, What happened there, my son?

17 And in reply the messenger said, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are also dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18 And when he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the seat by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel for forty years.

19 ¶ Now his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, and about to be delivered: and when she heard that the ark of God was captured, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came upon her.

20 And about the time of her death the women who attended her said to her, Do not be afraid; for you have given birth to a son. But she did not answer, nor did she pay attention.

21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel: because the ark of God was captured, and because of her father in law and her husband.

22 And she said, The glory has departed from Israel: for the ark of God was captured.