The Philistines Capture the Ark

1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

And Israel went out to meet the Philistines in the battle, and they encamped beside Eben-ezer. And the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2And the Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and the battle spread, and Israel was defeated by the Philistines, and they struck down among the ranks in the field about four thousand men.

3And the people had come into the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has YHWH defeated us today before the face of the Philistines? Let us bring for ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of YHWH, that when it comes† into our midst, it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”

4And the people sent to Shiloh, and they lifted from there the ark of the covenant of YHWH of Hosts, inhabiting the cherubim. And were there the two sons of Eli with the ark of the covenant of God—Hophni and Phinehas.

5And it came to pass at the coming in of the ark of the covenant of YHWH into the camp, that all Israel shouted a great shout, and the earth resounded.

6And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they said, “What is the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?”

And they understood that the ark of YHWH had come into the camp. 7And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “The gods have come into† the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us, for there has not been such as this before heretofore. 8Woe to us! Who will snatch us up from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck Egypt with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9Be strong and be like men, O Philistines, that you⁺ do not become servants of the Hebrews as they have been to you⁺. Be like men and fight.”

10And the Philistines fought and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, and there fell from Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli died—Hophni and Phinehas.

The Death of Eli

12And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line, and he came to Shiloh that day—and his clothes were torn, and dirt was on his head. 13And he came, and behold, Eli was sitting on the seat by the side of the way watching, for his heart had been trembling for the ark of God.

And the man came and told it in the city, and all the city cried out.

14And Eli heard the noise of the outcry, and he said, “What is the sound of this tumult?”

And the man hurried and came in and declared to Eli. 15And Eli was a son of ninety-eight years, and his eyes stood, and he could not see.

16And the man said to Eli, “I am he who came from the battle, and I have fled from the battle line today.”

And he said, “What has been the matter, my son?”

17And the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the face of the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons are dead—Hophni and Phinehas—and the ark of God has been captured.”

18And it came to pass, at his mentioning of the ark of God, that he fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken, and he died; for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged† Israel forty years.

19And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant about to give birth, and she heard the news that the ark of God was captured and her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she bowed herself and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her.

20And at the time of her death, the women who stood by her said to her, “Fear not, for you have borne a son.”

And she did not answer nor set her heart to it. 21And she named the child Ichabod,† saying, “The glory has departed† from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”