1 Samuel 4

Revised Geneva Translation

4 And Samuel spoke to all Israel. And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle and camped beside Ebenezer. And the Philistines camped in Aphek.

² And the Philistines put themselves in formation against Israel. And when they joined the battle, Israel was struck down before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.

³ So, when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD struck us down this day before the Philistines? Let us bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh to us, so that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

⁴ Then the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Hosts, Who dwells between the Cherubims. And there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, 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 a mighty shout, so that the Earth echoed.

⁶ And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What is the meaning of the sound of this mighty shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the Ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

⁷ And the Philistines were afraid, and said, “God has come into the camp!” Therefore, they said, “Woe to us! For it has not been so until now.

⁸ “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods Who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness!

⁹ “Be strong and play the men, O Philistines, so that you will not be servants to the Hebrews as they have served you! Be valiant, therefore, and fight!”

¹⁰ And the Philistines fought. And Israel was struck down; and every man fled into his tent. And there was an exceedingly great slaughter. For thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.

¹¹ And the Ark of God was taken. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

¹² And the same day, a man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and earth upon his head.

¹³ And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the roadside, waiting. For his heart feared for the Ark of God. And when the man came into the city to tell it, all the city cried out.

¹⁴ And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does this noise of tumult mean?” And the man came in, 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 came from the army, and I fled this day out of the camp.” And he said, “What has happened, my son?”

¹⁷ Then the messenger answered, and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines; and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. And moreover, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead. And the Ark of God has been taken.”

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

¹⁹ And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near labor. And when she heard the report that the Ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself, and went into labor. For her pains came upon her.

²⁰ And about the time of her death, the women that stood around her said to her, “Do not fear. For you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention.

²¹ And she named 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.

²² She said again, “The glory has departed from Israel! For the Ark of God has been taken!”