 1 The word of Samuel was revealed to all Israel. And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer. And the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2 The Philistines put themselves in order against Israel. The battle was joined and Israel was beaten by the Philistines. They killed about 4,000 men of the army in the field. 3 When the people had come to the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord beaten us today 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 from our enemies. 4 The people sent to Shiloh in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts from there, the ark that lives between the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. 6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout they said, What is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? Then they saw that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 The Philistines were afraid and said, God has come into the camp, They said, Woe to us. For there has not been a thing like this before. 8 Woe to us. Who will deliver us from these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong and fight like men, O Philistines, so that you may not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men and fight. 10 The Philistines fought, and Israel was beaten, and each one of them fled into his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell 30,000 soldiers+ of Israel. 11 The ark of God was taken. And Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were slain. 12 A man of Benjamin ran out of the army. And he came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and with earth upon his head. 13 He came in, and behold, Eli sat on a seat by the wayside watching. For his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying he said, What is the noise of this tumult? Then the man hurried in and told Eli. 15 Eli was 98 years old and 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. Then he said, How did the matter go my son? 17 The messenger said, Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has been a great slaughter among the people also. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas are dead and the ark of God is taken. 18 When he spoke of the ark of God, he fell backward off the seat 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 40 years. 19 His daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child ready to be delivered. 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 travailed for her pains came upon her. 20 About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, Do not fear, for you have borne a son. But she did not answer, nor set her heart. 21 She named the child Ichabod saying, The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God had been taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. 22 She said, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.
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