| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Samuel revealed the word of the LORD to all Israel. The Ark of the Covenant is Lost to the Philistines Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek. | 1And Samuel's words came to all Israel. Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer while the Philistines camped at Aphek. |
| 2The Philistines arranged their forces to fight Israel. As the battle spread out, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men in the battle line in the field. | 2The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about4,000 men on the battlefield. |
| 3When the army came back to the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why did the LORD let us be defeated today by the Philistines? Let's take with us the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. When it is with us, it will save us from the hand of our enemies. | 3When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD let us be defeated today by the Philistines? Let's bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies." |
| 4So the army sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. | 4So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. |
| 5When the ark of the covenant of the LORD arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the ground shook. | 5When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook. |
| 6When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, "What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?" Then they realized that the ark of the LORD had arrived at the camp. | 6The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, "What's this loud shout in the Hebrews' camp?" When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp, |
| 7The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. They said, "Too bad for us! We've never seen anything like this! | 7they panicked. "The gods have entered their camp!" they said. "Woe to us, nothing like this has happened before. |
| 8Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert! | 8Woe to us, who will rescue us from the hand of these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. |
| 9Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!" | 9Show some courage and be men, Philistines! Otherwise, you'll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!" |
| 10So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home. The slaughter was very great; thirty thousand foot soldiers fell in battle. | 10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was severe--30,000 of the Israelite foot soldiers fell. |
| 11The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were killed. | 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. |
| 12On that day a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head. | 12That same day, a Benjaminite man ran from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and there was dirt on his head. |
| 13When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of the road, for he was very worried about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, the whole city cried out. | 13When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road watching, because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out. |
| 14When Eli heard the outcry, he said, "What is this commotion?" The man quickly came and told Eli. | 14Eli heard the outcry and asked, "Why this commotion?" The man quickly came and reported to Eli. |
| 15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; he was unable to see. | 15At that time Eli was 98 years old, and his gaze was fixed because he couldn't see. |
| 16The man said to Eli, "I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!" Eli asked, "How did things go, my son?" | 16The man said to Eli, "I'm the one who came from the battle. I fled from there today." "What happened, my son?" Eli asked. |
| 17The messenger replied, "Israel has fled from the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!" | 17The messenger answered, "Israel has fled from the Philistines, and also there was a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured." |
| 18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years. | 18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the chair by the city gate, and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel 40 years. |
| 19His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her. | 19Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news about the capture of God's ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth because her labor pains came on her. |
| 20As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, "Don't be afraid! You have given birth to a son!" But she did not reply or pay any attention. | 20As she was dying, the women taking care of her said, "Don't be afraid. You've given birth to a son!" But she did not respond or pay attention. |
| 21She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," referring to the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. | 21She named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," referring to the capture of the ark of God and to the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. |
| 22She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured." | 22"The glory has departed from Israel," she said, "because the ark of God has been captured." |
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