4:1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went
out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside
Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
4:2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel:
and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the
Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four
thousand men.
4:3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of
Israel said, Why hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the
Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD
out of Shiloh to us, that when it cometh among us, it may save
us from the hand of our enemies.
4:4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from
thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who
dwelleth [between] the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli,
Hophni and Phinehas, [were] there with the ark of the covenant
of God.
4:5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the
camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth
resounded.
4:6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they
said, What [meaneth] the noise of this great shout in the camp
of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD
had come into the camp.
4:7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God hath
come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! for there hath
not been such a thing heretofore.
4:8 Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these
mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that smote the Egyptians with
all the plagues in the wilderness.
4:9 Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines,
that ye may not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been
to you: acquit yourselves like men, and fight.
4:10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and
they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great
slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
4:11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli,
Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
4:12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came
to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth
upon his head.
4:13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side
watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when
the man came into the city, and told [it], all the city cried
out.
4:14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What
[meaneth] the noise of this tumult? And the man came in
hastily, and told Eli.
4:15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were
dim, that he could not see.
4:16 And the man said to Eli, I [am] he that came out of the
army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, What is
there done, my son?
4:17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel hath fled
before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great
slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and
Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of
God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the
gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man,
and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
4:19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with
child [near] to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings
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.
4:20 And about the time of her death, the women that stood by
her said to her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she
answered not, neither did she regard [it].
4:21 And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory hath
departed from Israel. (Because the ark of God was taken, and
because of her father-in-law and her husband.)
4:22 And she said, The glory hath departed from Israel: for the
ark of God is taken.
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