1 Samuel 4:1-7 ▼

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. And Israel went out to meet the Philistines in the battle, and they encamped beside Eben-ezer. And the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and the battle spread, and Israel was defeated by the Philistines, and they struck down among the ranks in the field about four thousand men.

3 And the people had come into the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has YHWH defeated us today before the face of the Philistines? Let us bring for ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of YHWH, that when it comes into our midst, it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”

4 And the people sent to Shiloh, and they lifted from there the ark of the covenant of YHWH of Hosts, inhabiting the cherubim. And were there the two sons of Eli with the ark of the covenant of God—Hophni and Phinehas.

5 And it came to pass at the coming in of the ark of the covenant of YHWH into the camp, that all Israel shouted a great shout, and the earth resounded.

6 And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they said, “What is the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the ark of YHWH had come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “The gods have come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us, for there has not been such as this before heretofore.