1Sa 4 | AB | STEP | And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

‏ 1 Samuel 4

1 And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 And the Philistines prepare to fight with Israel, and the battle was turned against them; and the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and four thousand men were killed in the battle in the field. 3 And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord caused us to fall this day before the Philistines? Let us take the ark of our God out of Shiloh, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies. 4 And the people sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the Lord who dwells between the cherubim. And both the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were with the ark. 5 And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded. 6 And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, What is this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 And the Philistines feared, and said, These are the gods that have come with them into the camp. 8 Woe to us, O Lord, deliver us today, for such a thing has not happened before. Woe to us; who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness. 9 Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be men, and fight with them! 10 And they fought with them; and the men of Israel fell, and they fled, every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand fighting men. 11 And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, died. 12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Shiloh on that day. And his clothes were torn, and dust was upon his head. 13 And he came, and behold, Eli was upon the seat by the gate looking along the way, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God. And the man entered into the city to bring news, and the city cried out. 14 And Eli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What is the voice of this cry? And the men hastened and went in, and reported to Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see. 16 And Eli said to them that stood round about him, What is the voice of this sound? And the man hastened and advanced to Eli, and said to him, I am he that has come out of the camp, and I have fled from the battle today. And Eli said, What has happened, my son? 17 And they young man answered and said, The men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both your sons are dead, and the ark of God has been taken. 18 And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. And he judged Israel twenty years. 19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas was with child, and was about to bring forth. And she heard the news, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she wept and was delivered, for her pains came upon her. 20 And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her said to her, Fear not, for you have born a son. But she answered not, and her heart did not regard it. 21 And she called the child 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 departed, for the ark of the Lord has been taken.