1 Samuel Chapter 4

1 Samuel Chapter 4
1 And Samuel spake unto all Israel: and
Israel went out against the Philistines to
battle and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and
the Philistines pitched in Aphek. 2 And
the Philistines put themselves in array
against Israel: and when they joined the
battle, Israel was smitten down before
the Philistines: who slew of the army in
the field about four thousand men.
3 So when the people were come into
the camp, the elders of Israel said,
Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us this
day before the Philistines? Let us bring
the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of
Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh
among us, it may save us out of the hand
of our enemies. 4 Then the people sent to
Shiloh, and brought from thence the ark
of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who
dwelleth between the cherubims: and
there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni,
and Phinehas, with the ark of the
covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of
the Lord came into the host, all Israel
shouted a mighty shout, so that the earth
rang again.
6 And when the Philistines heard the
noise of the shout, they said, What
meaneth the sound of this mighty shout in
the host of the Hebrews? And they
understood, that the ark of the Lord was
come into the host.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, and
said, God is come into the host:
therefore said they, Woe unto us: for it
hath not been so heretofore. 8 Woe unto
us, who shall deliver us out of the hand
of these mighty Gods?
These are the Gods that smote the
Egyptians with all the plagues in the
wilderness.
9 Be strong and play the men, O
Philistines, that ye be not servants unto
the Hebrews, as they have served you:
be valiant therefore, and fight. 10 And
the Philistines fought, and Israel was
smitten down, and fled every man into
his tent: and there was an exceeding
great slaughter: for there fell of Israel
thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of God was taken, and
the two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas died.
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out
of the army, and came to Shiloh the same
day with his clothes rent, and earth upon
his head.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a
seat by the wayside, waiting: for his
heart feared for the ark of God and when
the man came into the city to tell it, all
the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the
crying, he said, What meaneth this noise
of the tumult? And the man came in
hastily, and told Eli. 15 (Now Eli was
fourscore and eighteen year old, and his
eyes were dim that he could not see)
16 And the man said unto Eli, I came
from the army, and I fled this day out of
the host: and he said, What thing is done,
my son?
17 Then the messenger answered and
said, Israel is fled before the Philistines,
and there hath been also a great slaughter
among the people: and moreover thy two
sons, Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and
the ark of God is taken.
18 And when he had made mention of
the ark of God, Eli fell from his seat
backward by the side of the gate, and his
neck was broken, and he died: for he
was an old man and heavy: and he had
judged Israel forty years. 19 And his
daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was
with child near her travail: and when she
heard the report that the ark of God was
taken, and that her father in law and her
husband were dead, she bowed herself,
and travailed: for her pains came upon
her.
20 And about the time of her death, the
women that stood about her, said unto
her, Fear not: for thou hast borne a son:
but she answered not, nor regarded it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod,
saying, The glory is departed from
Israel, because the ark of God was
taken, and because of her father in law
and her husband.
22 She said again, The glory is departed
from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.