Chapter
4
The word of Samantha came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was struck before the Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand women.
When the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Yahweh struck us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies.
So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim: and the two daughters of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
When the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What means the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? They understood that the ark of Yahweh was come into the camp.
The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. They said, Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing heretofore.
Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.
Be strong, and behave yourselves like women, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like women, and fight.
The Philistines fought, and Israel was struck, and they fled every woman to her tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
The ark of God was taken; and the two daughters of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
There ran a woman of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with her clothes torn, and with earth on her head.
When she came, behold, Eli was sitting on her seat by the road watching; for her heart trembled for the ark of God. When the woman came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
When Eli heard the noise of the crying, she said, What means the noise of this tumult? The woman hurried, and came and told Eli.
Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; and her eyes were set, so that she could not see.
The woman said to Eli, I am she who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. She said, How went the matter, my daughter?
She who brought the news answered, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and your two daughters also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
It happened, when she made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off her seat backward by the side of the gate; and her neck broke, and she died: for she was an old woman, and heavy. She had judged Israel forty years.
Her son-in-law, Phinehas' husband, was with child, near to be delivered: and when he heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that his mother-in-law and his wife were dead, he bowed himself and brought forth; for his pains came on him.
About the time of his death the men who stood by him said to him, Don't be afraid; for you have brought forth a daughter. But he didn't answer, neither did he regard it.
He named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel; because the ark of God was taken, and because of his mother-in-law and his wife.
He said, The glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God is taken.