1 Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside A1 Sam 7:12Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in BJosh 12:18; 1 Sam 29:1Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was 1Lit smittendefeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “AJosh 7:7, 8Why has the Loʀᴅ defeated us today before the Philistines? BNum 10:35; Josh 6:6Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Loʀᴅ, that 1Or heit may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Loʀᴅ of hosts AEx 25:22; 2 Sam 6:2; Ps 80:1who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 As the ark of the covenant of the Loʀᴅ came into the camp, AJosh 6:5, 20all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Loʀᴅ had come into the camp. 7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “AEx 15:14Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8  “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9  “A1 Cor 16:13Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, BJudg 13:1; 1 Sam 14:21as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight.”

10 So the Philistines fought and ADeut 28:15, 25; 1 Sam 4:2Israel was 1Lit smittendefeated, and B2 Sam 18:17; 19:8; 2 Kin 14:12; 2 Chr 25:22every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 And the ark of God was taken; and A1 Sam 2:34; Ps 78:56-64the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12 Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with AJosh 7:6; 2 Sam 1:2; 15:32; Neh 9:1; Job 2:12his clothes torn and 1Lit grounddust on his head. 13 When he came, behold, A1 Sam 1:9; 4:18Eli was sitting on his seat 1Gr version reads beside the gate watching the roadby the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the noise of this commotion mean?” Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and A1 Sam 3:2; 1 Kin 14:4his eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today.” And he said, “A2 Sam 1:4How did things go, my son?” 17 Then the one who brought the news replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been 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 When he mentioned the ark of God, 1Lit heA1 Sam 4:13Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for 2Lit the manhe was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years.

19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’s wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “AGen 35:16-19Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she called the boy 1I.e. No gloryIchabod, saying, “APs 26:8; Jer 2:11The glory has departed from Israel,” because B1 Sam 4:11the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken.”