1 Samuel 4

1 In those days the Philistines gathered for war against Israel; and Israel went out to meet them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek. [a] 2 The Philistines drew up their line to fight Israel, and the battle turned against Israel; the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and four thousand men were struck down in the battle line, out in the open field.

3 And the people came back to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord brought us down today before the Philistines? Let us take up the ark of our God from Shiloh, and let it go out among us, and it will save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they carried off from there the ark of the Lord who sits on the cherubim; and both the sons of Eli were with the ark, Hophni and Phinehas. 5 And when the ark of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the ground rang with it.

6 And the Philistines heard the shouting, and the Philistines said, “What is this great 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, and they said, “These are the gods that have come to them into the camp. Woe to us! Deliver us today, O Lord, for nothing like this has happened before. [b] 8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us out of the hand of these strong gods? These are the gods that struck Egypt with every blow, and in the wilderness. 9 Be strong, be men, you Philistines, so that you do not serve the Hebrews, as they have served us. Be men, and fight them!”

10 So they fought them; and the men of Israel fell, and every man fled to his tent. And there was a very great blow: thirty thousand of Israel’s fighting men fell. [c] 11 And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Eli died, Hophni and Phinehas.

12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day, his clothes torn and dirt on his head. 13 He arrived, and there was Eli, sitting on his seat beside the gate, watching the road, for his heart was shaking with fear for the ark of God. And the man went into the city to bring the news, and the city cried out. 14 And Eli heard the sound of the outcry, and he said, “What is this cry I hear?” And the man hurried in and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety years old, and his eyes had failed, and he could not see. And Eli said to the men standing around him, “What is the sound of this uproar?” [d] 16 And the man hurried and came up to Eli and said to him, “I am the one who has come from the camp; I fled from the battle line today.” And Eli said, “What has happened, my son?” 17 And the young man answered and said, “The men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and there was a great blow among the people, and both your sons are dead, and the ark of God is taken.”

18 And when he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his seat, there beside the gate, and his back was broken, and he died — for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel twenty years. [e]

19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near to giving birth. And she heard the report that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she sank down and gave birth, for her pains came over her. [f] 20 And at her time she was dying, and the women standing by her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, and her heart took no notice. 21 And she called the boy Ichabod, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband. 22 And they said, “The glory of Israel has been carried away, now that the ark of the Lord is taken.” [g]