CHAPTER 4
1 and the word of Samuel came to all Israel. And it was done in those days Philistines came together into battle; for Israel went out against the Philistines into battle, and setted tents beside the stone of help or Ebenezer. And the Philistines came into Aphek,
2 and made ready battle array against Israel. And when the battle was begun, Israel turned their backs to [the] Philistines; and as four thousand of men were slain in that battle every-where by fields; and the people of Israel turned again to their tents.
3 And the greater men in birth of Israel said, Why hath the Lord smitten us today before the Philistines? Bring we to us from Shiloh the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord, and come it into the midst of us, that it save us from the hand of our enemies.
4 Therefore the people sent into Shiloh, and they took from thence the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord of hosts, that sat on cherubim. And Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were with the ark of the bond of peace of the Lord.
5 And when the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord had come into the tents, all Israel cried [out] with [a] great cry, and the earth sounded.
6 And the Philistines heard the voice of their cry, and they said, And what is this voice of great cry in the tents of Hebrews? And they knew, that the ark of [the] bond of peace of the Lord had come into the tents of Israel.
7 And the Philistines dreaded, and said, God is come into their tents; and they wailed, and said, Woe to us! for so great out-joying was not there yesterday, and the third day passed;
8 woe to us! who shall keep us from the hand of these high gods? these be the gods, that smited Egypt with all vengeance in desert.
9 Philistines, be ye comforted, and be ye men, serve ye not to the Hebrews, as they have served to you; be ye comforted, and fight ye against Israel.
10 Then the Philistines fought, and Israel was overcome, and each man fled into his tabernacle; and a full great vengeance was made, and thirty thousand of footmen of Israel felled down.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were dead.
12 And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle array, and came into Shiloh in that day, with his cloth rent, and with his head besprinkled with dust;
13 and when he was come, Eli sat upon a seat, and beheld against the way; for his heart was dreading for the ark of the Lord. And after that that man had entered, he told what had happened to the men of the city, and all the city yelled.
14 And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and he said, What is the sound of this noise? And the man hasted, and came, and told to Eli.
15 And Eli was of fourscore years and eighteen, and his eyes dimmed or darkened, and he might not see.
16 And the man said to Eli, I am he that came from the battle, and I am he that fled today from the battle array. To whom Eli said, My son, what is there done?
17 And he that told answered, and said, Israel hath fled before the Philistines, and a great falling is made in the people of Israel; furthermore and thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, be dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18 And when he named the ark of God, Eli felled from the seat back-ward beside the door, and was dead; for his neck was broken. For he was an eld [or old] man, and of great age; and he deemed Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, and nigh the child bearing; and when the message was heard or when she heard by the messenger, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law was dead, and her husband, she bowed herself down, and childed; for sudden sorrows felled into her.
20 And in that moment of her death, women that stood about her said to her, Dread thou not, for thou hast childed a son. And she answered not to them, neither she took heed.
21 And she called the child Ichabod, that is, without glory, and said, The glory of the Lord is translated from Israel, for the ark of God is taken; and for her father-in-law and for her husband
22 she said, The glory of God is translated or is taken from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.