1 Samuel 4

Israel Brings the Ark into Battle

1And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle and camped beside Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2The Philistines drew up in battle formation against Israel. The battle spread, and Israel was struck before the Philistines. They struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3When the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD struck us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, so that it may come into our midst and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4So the people sent to Shiloh and carried from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits above the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5And it happened when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp that all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth resounded.

The Philistines Fear the Ark

6The Philistines heard the sound of the shout and said, “What is the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp. 7The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8Woe to us! Who will rescue us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck Egypt with every kind of plague in the wilderness. 9Strengthen yourselves and be men, Philistines, lest you become servants to the Hebrews as they have been servants to you. Be men and fight!”

The Ark Is Captured

10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great, and thirty thousand foot soldiers from Israel fell. 11The ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Eli Hears the News

12A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day, with his clothes torn and dirt upon his head. 13When he came, look, Eli was sitting on his seat beside the road, watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. The man came into the city and told it, and all the city cried out. 14Eli heard the sound of the outcry and said, “What is the sound of this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were fixed so that he could not see. 16The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line, and I fled from the battle line today.” He said, “What happened, my son?” 17The one bringing the news answered and said, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18And it happened when he mentioned the ark of God that Eli fell backward from the seat beside the gate, his neck broke, and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

Ichabod Is Born

19His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near to giving birth. When she heard the report that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she bowed down and gave birth, for her labor pains came upon her. 20As she was dying, the women standing beside her said, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or set her heart upon it. 21She called the boy Ichabod, saying, “Glory has gone into exile from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22She said, “Glory has gone into exile from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”