1 Samuel 4

1 And Samuel's words came to all Israel. And Eli grew very old, and his sons kept advancing in their wicked behavior before YHWH. And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel. And Israel went out to meet them in battle, and camped beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped in Aphek.

2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was struck before the Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has YHWH struck us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of YHWH out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies."

4 So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of YHWH, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark.

5 When the ark of YHWH came into the 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 does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" They understood that the ark of YHWH had come into the camp.

7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, "Gods have come into the camp." They said, "Woe to us. For there has not been such a thing before.

8 Woe to us. Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight."

10 So they fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 The ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 There ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with earth on his head.

13 When he came, look, Eli was sitting on his seat by the side of the gate watching the road, 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 does the noise of this tumult mean?" The man hurried, and came and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety-eight 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." He said, "How did the matter go, my son?"

17 He who brought the news answered, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."

18 It happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward 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 forty years.

19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered. When she heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.

20 When her time came, she was abount to die, and the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid; for you have given birth to a son." But she did not answer, neither did she regard it.

21 And she named the boy Ichabod, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22 She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."