1
And the word of Samuel was to all Israel. And Israel went··out to meet the Philistines in battle, and encamped by◦ Eben-ezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2
And the Philistines set· themselves ·in··array to meet Israel; and the battle extended; and Israel was stricken before the Philistines; and they smote in the battle array in the field about four thousand men◦.
3
And the people came to▵ the camp, and the elders of Israel said, Why has Jehovah stricken us today before the Philistines? Let us take to▵ us from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and let it come into our midst◦, and it shall save us from the palm of the hand of our enemies.
4
And the people sent to Shiloh, and bore thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of Armies, who sits upon the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5
And it was, when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into▵ the camp, that all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth made··a··noise.
6
And the Philistines heard the voice of the shout, and they said, What is the voice of this great shout, in the camp of the Hebrews? And they knew that the ark of Jehovah was come into▵ the camp.
7
And the Philistines feared; for they said, God is come into▵ the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there has not been such a thing yesterday and the day··before*.
8
Woe unto us! Who shall rescue us from the hand of these magnificent gods? These are they◦, the gods who smote the Egyptians with every smiting in the wilderness.
9
Make· yourselves ·firm, and be men◦, O ye Philistines, lest you serve the Hebrews, as◦ they have served you; and be men◦, and fight.
10
And the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck down, and they fled, a man◦ to his tent; and there was a very great smiting; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11
And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12
And there ran a man◦ of Benjamin from the battle array, and came to Shiloh on◦ that◦ day, and his robe was rent, and the dust* of the ground was on his head.
13
And he came, and behold, Eli was sitting on the chair by the side* of the road, watching; for his heart was frightened on··account··of the ark of God. And the man◦ came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.
14
And Eli heard the voice of the cry, and he said, What is the voice of this tumult? And the man◦ hastened, and came and told it to Eli.
15
And Eli was a son of ninety and eight years; and his eyes were set* and he was· not ·able to see.
16
And the man◦ said to▵ Eli, I▵ come from the battle array, and I◦ fled today from the battle array. And he said, What is the word, my son?
17
And he who brought··tidings, answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great striking among◦ the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are··dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18
And it was, when◦ he mentioned the ark of God, that he* fell from upon the chair backward through the side of the gate, and his neck* broke, and he died; for the man◦ was··old and was··heavy. And he◦ judged Israel forty years.
19
And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, had conceived, and was about to give··birth; and she heard the report as to▵ the taking of the ark of God, and that her father-in-law and her husband◦ died; and she stooped··down and gave··birth, for her throes turned on her.
20
And about the time of her death, the women that stood··up by◦ her spoke unto her, Fear not; for thou hast given··birth to a son. But she answered not, neither did she set◦ it to heart.
21
And she called the lad Ichabod*, saying, The glory has been exiled from Israel; because of the taking of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband◦.
22
And she said, The glory is exiled from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.
