The Philistines Capture the Ark

1And all Israel spake of Samuel. And Israel wente forth to the battayll against the Philistynes, & pitched besyde the. Helpe stone: As for the Philistynes, they pitched at Aphek, 2and prepared them selues agaynst Israel. And whan the battayll beganne, the hoost was deuyded, so that Israel was smytte before the enemies, & in the edge in the felde they slewe aboute a foure thousande men. 3And whan the people came in to the hoost, the Elders of Israel sayde: Wherfore hath the LORDE caused vs to be smytten this daie before the Philistynes? Let vs take vnto vs the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt from Silo, & let it come amoge vs, that it maye helpe vs from the hande of oure enemies. 4And the people sent vnto Silo, & caused to fet thece the Arke of ye couenaunt of the LORDE Zebaoth, that sytteth vpon the Cherubins. And with the Arke of the couenaunt of God there were the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas.

5And whan the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE came in to the hoost, all Israel shouted wt a greate shoute, so that the earth sounded withall. 6But whan the Philistynes herde ye noyse of ye shoute, they sayde: what noyse is this of soch greate shoutinge in the tentes of the Hebrues? And whan they perceaued yt the Arke of the LORDE was come in to the hoost, 7they were afrayed & sayde: God is come in to the hoost. And they sayde morouer: Wo vnto vs, for it hath not bene thus afore tyme. 8Wo vnto vs. Who wil delyuer vs fro the hande of these hye goddes? These are the goddes that smote Egipte wt all maner of plages in the wyldernesse. 9Be stronge now and manly ye Philistynes, that ye serue not the Hebrues as they haue serued you. Be manly and fighte.

10Then foughte the Philistynes, & Israel was smytten, & euery one fled vnto his tete, & there was a very greate slaughter, so that there fell of Israel thirtye thousande fote me, 11& the Arke of God was take, & the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas dyed.

The Death of Eli

12Then rane there one of Ben Iamin out of the fore fronte of the battayl, & came vnto Silo the same daye, & had his clothes rente, and had earth vpo his heade. 13And whan he came in, Heli sat vpon the seate, that he mighte loke towarde the waye: for his herte was fearfull aboute ye Arke of God. And whan the man came in to the cite, he tolde it forth: and all the cite cried. 14And whan Eli herde ye noyse of the cryege, he axed: What noyse of busynes is this? The man came haistely, and tolde Eli. 15(As for Eli, he was fourescore and eightene yeare olde, and his eyes were dymme, so that he coulde not se.) 16The man sayde vnto Eli: I come and am fled this daye out of the hoost. He sayde: How is it my sonne? 17Then answered the tydinge bringer, & sayde: Israel is fled before the Philistynes, and a greate slaughter hath there bene amonge the people, & thy two sonnes Ophni & Phineas are deed, yee & the Arke of God is take awaye. 18Whan he had made mencion of the Arke of God, he fell downe bacwarde from the seate by the gate, and brake his neck, and dyed: for he was olde, & an heuy man. He iudged Israel fortie yeares.

19The wife of his sonne Phineas was wt childe, & shulde shortly be delyuered, whan she herde the tydinges yt the Arke of God was taken, and yt hir brother in lawe and hir husbade were deed, she bowed hir selfe and trauayled: for hir payne came vpon her. 20And whan she was now at the poynte of death, the wemen that stode by her, sayde: Feare not, thou hast a yoge sonne. But she gaue no answere, nether regarded it, 21and she called the childe Icabod, and sayde: The glory is gone from Israel, because the Arke of God was taken awaye, and hir brother in lawe and hir husbande. 22And she sayde morouer: The glory is gone from Israel, for the Arke of God is take awaye