1
Thus the word of Samuelcame to allIsrael. Now Israelwent out to meet the Philistines in battle and campedbesideEbenezer while the Philistinescamped in Aphek.
2
The Philistinesdrew up in battle array to meetIsrael. When the battlespread, Israel was defeatedbefore the Philistines who killed about fourthousandmen on the battlefield*.
3
When the peoplecame into the camp, the elders of Israelsaid, "Why has the LORDdefeated us todaybefore the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may comeamong us and deliver us from the power of our enemies."
4
So the peoplesent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the twosons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
6
When the Philistinesheard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise of thisgreatshout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
8
"Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of thesemightygods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
10
So the Philistinesfought and Israel was defeated, and everymanfled to his tent; and the slaughter was verygreat, for there fell of Israelthirtythousandfootsoldiers.
13
When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So the mancame to tell it in the city, and all the citycried out.
16
The mansaid to Eli, "I am the one who came from the battleline. Indeed, I escaped from the battlelinetoday." And he said, "How did thingsgo, my son?"
17
Then the one who brought the newsreplied, "Israel has fledbefore the Philistines and there has alsobeen a greatslaughter among the people, and your twosonsalso, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken."
18
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli felloff* the seatbackwardbeside* the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for he was old and heavy. Thus he judgedIsraelfortyyears.
19
Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas'swife, was pregnant and about to givebirth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeleddown and gavebirth, for her painscame upon her.
20
And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid, for you have givenbirth to a son." But she did not answer or payattention.
21
And she called the boyIchabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.