1 Samuel 4

1Samuel's word reached all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle and encamped beside Ebenezer, while the Philistines encamped at Aphek.

2The Philistines drew up against Israel, the battle spread, Israel was routed before the Philistines, and they struck down about four thousand men from the ranks in the field.

3The people came to the camp, and Israel's elders said, "Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of Yahweh's covenant from Shiloh to us, so it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies."

4The people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts who sits upon the cherubim, and there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, with the ark of the covenant of God.

5When the ark of Yahweh's covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised a great shout, so that the earth resounded.

6When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, "What is this great shout in the Hebrews' camp?" They realized that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp.

7The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has entered the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened yesterday or the day before.”

8Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.

9Strengthen yourselves and become men, Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they became to you. Become men and fight.

10The Philistines fought, Israel was struck down, and they fled, every man to his tent; the slaughter was very great, for thirty thousand foot soldiers fell from Israel.

11The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12A man from Benjamin ran from the battle array and came to Shiloh that day, his garments torn and soil on his head.

13When he arrived, Eli was sitting on the seat beside the road, watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. And the man came into the city to announce it, and all the city cried out.

14Eli heard the sound of the outcry and said, "What is the sound of this uproar?" The man hurried, came, and reported to Eli.

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

16The man said to Eli, "I am the one who came from the army, and I fled from the army today." He said, "What happened to the matter, my son?"

17The messenger answered, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and a great slaughter struck the people too. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have also died, and the ark of God was taken.”

18When he mentioned the ark of God, he fell backward from his seat by the side of the gate, his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old, heavy man who had judged Israel forty years.

19His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth, but she heard the report that the ark of God had been seized and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, so she crouched and bore a child because her labor pains had overtaken her.

20At the time of her death, the women standing by her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son." But she did not answer, nor did she take it to heart.

21She called the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken."