1 Samuel 4:1-18 ▼

1 AND the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped by the Rock of Help; and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they fought, Israel was defeated before the Philistines; and there were slain on the battlefield about four thousand men.

3 And when the people were come to the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts out of Shiloh to us, that it may go with us and save us from our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who dwells upon the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

5 And it came to pass, when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that it reechoed.

6 And when the Philistines heard the noise, they said, What is this noise of shouting in the camp of the Hebrews? And they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before.

8 Woe to us! who shall deliver us from the hands of the mighty God? This is the God who smote the whole of Egypt with all sorts of plagues and performed wonders in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and conduct yourselves like men, O Philistines, lest you become servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you; be strong and fight with them.

10 And the Philistines fought with Israel, and Israel was defeated, and they fled every man to his tent; and there was a very great slaughter in Israel; for there fell of Israel in that day thirty thousand footmen.

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

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin from the battle line, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head.

13 And Eli was sitting upon a seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city to tell of the disaster, all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of crying, he said, What is this noise of tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was seventy-eight years old; and his eyes were dim so that he could not see.

16 And the man said to Eli, I am he who came from the battle line, and I fled today from the battle line. And he said to him, What is the news, my son?

17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.

18 And it came to pass, when Eli thought of the ark of God, 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.