Chapter 4
1 The word of Samuel came to all Israel . Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle , and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel . When they joined battle , Israel was defeated by the Philistines , who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field .
3 When the people had come into the camp , the elders of Israel said, " Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines ? Let’s get the ark of the LORD ’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us , that it may come amongst 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 the LORD of Armies , 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 LORD ’s covenant came into the camp , all Israel shouted with a great shout , so that the earth resounded .
6 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?" They understood that the LORD ’s ark had come into the camp .
7 The Philistines were afraid , for they said, " God has come into the camp ." They said, "Woe to us ! For there has not been such a thing before .
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 kinds of plagues in the wilderness .
9 Be strong and behave like men , O you Philistines , that you not be servants to the Hebrews , as they have been to you . Strengthen yourselves like men , and fight !"
10 The Philistines fought , and Israel was defeated , and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter ; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell .
11 God’s ark was taken ; and the two sons of Eli , Hophni and Phinehas , were slain .
12 A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day , with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head .
13 When he came , behold , Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching , for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it , all the city cried out .
14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying , he said , " What does the noise of this tumult mean?" The man hurried , and came and told Eli .
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old . 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 did the matter go , my son ?"
17 He who brought the news answered , " Israel has fled before the Philistines , and there has been also a great slaughter amongst the people . Your two sons also , Hophni and Phinehas , are dead , and God’s ark has been captured ."
18 When he made mention of God ’s ark, 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 giving birth . When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead , she bowed herself and gave birth ; 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 given birth to a son ." But she didn’t answer , neither did she regard it .
21 She named the child Ichabod, saying, " The glory has departed from Israel !" because God’s ark was taken , and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 She said, " The glory has departed from Israel ; for God’s ark has been taken ."