|
Chapter 4 |
| 1 | And the word
of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to
battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in
Aphek. |
| 2 |
And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel:
and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and
they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. |
| 3 | And when
the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath
the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch 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 | So the people sent to
Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD
of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni
and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. |
| 5 | And
when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted
with a great shout, so that the earth rang again. |
| 6 | And when the
Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of
this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark
of the LORD was come into the camp. |
| 7 | And the Philistines were
afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us!
for there hath not been such a thing 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 quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not
servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men,
and fight. |
| 10
| And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and
they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very 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, were
slain. |
| 12
| And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came
to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his
head. |
| 13 |
And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside
watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into
the city, and told it, all the city cried out. |
| 14 | And when Eli
heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult?
And the man came in hastily, and told Eli. |
|
15 | Now Eli was ninety and
eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see. |
| 16 | And
the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out
of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son? |
| 17 | And the
messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there
hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also,
Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken. |
| 18 | And it
came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the
seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, 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 to be delivered:
and when she heard the tidings 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 by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But
she answered not, neither did she regard 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 | And she
said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken. |
