¶ And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer²: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek³.

And the Philistines put⁴ themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle⁵, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they⁶ slew of the army⁷ in the field about four thousand men.

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore⁸ hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us⁹ fetch¹⁰ the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save¹¹ us out of the hand of our enemies.

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth¹² between the cherubims¹³: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni¹⁴ and Phinehas, were there with the ark¹⁵ of the covenant of God.

And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel¹⁶ shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth¹⁷ 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.

And the Philistines were afraid¹⁸, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore¹⁹.

Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote²⁰ the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

Be strong²¹, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have²² been to you: quit yourselves like men²³, and fight.

¶ And the Philistines fought, and Israel²⁴ was smitten, and they fled every man²⁵ into his tent: and there was a very great²⁶ slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

And the ark²⁷ of God was taken; and the two sons²⁸ of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain²⁹.

¶ And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent³⁰, and with earth³¹ upon his head.

And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon³² a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart³³ trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth³⁴ the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

Now Eli was ninety³⁵ and eight years old; and his eyes³⁶ were dim³⁷, that he could not see.

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 done³⁸, my son³⁹?

And the messenger answered and said, Israel⁴⁰ 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.

And it came to pass, when he made⁴¹ mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck⁴² brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had⁴³ judged Israel forty years.

¶ And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child⁴⁴, near to be delivered⁴⁵: 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 her⁴⁶.

¶ And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not;⁴⁷ for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it⁴⁸.

And she named the child Ichabod⁴⁹, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

And she said, The glory⁵⁰ is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.