1 Samuel 4
4
1And Samuel gave those messages to all the Israelites.
The Philistines Capture the Ark
The Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer. The Philistines camped at Aphek. 2The Philistines brought their forces together to fight against Israel. As the fighting spread, the Israelites lost the battle to the Philistines. The Philistines killed about 4,000 of them on the field of battle. 3The rest of the Israelite soldiers returned to camp. Then the elders asked them, “Why did the Lord let the Philistines win the battle over us today? Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Let’s take it with us. Then the Lord will save us from the power of our enemies.”
4So the people sent men to Shiloh. They brought back the ark of the Lord’s covenant law. He sits there on his throne between the cherubim. The Lord is the one who rules over all. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God’s covenant law. The ark was in Shiloh.
5The ark of the Lord’s covenant law was brought into the camp. Then all the Israelites shouted so loudly that the ground shook. 6The Philistines heard the noise. They asked, “What’s all that shouting about in the Hebrew camp?”
Then the Philistines found out that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7So they were afraid. “A god has come into their camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has ever happened before. 8How terrible it will be for us! Who will save us from the power of these mighty gods? They struck down the people of Egypt in the desert. They sent all kinds of plagues on them. 9Philistines, be strong! Fight like men! If you don’t, you will come under the control of the Hebrews. You will become their slaves, just as they have been your slaves. Fight like men!”
10So the Philistines fought. The Israelites lost the battle, and every man ran back to his tent. A large number of them were killed. Israel lost 30,000 soldiers who were on foot. 11The ark of God was captured. And Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phinehas died.
Eli Dies
12That same day a man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the front lines of the battle. He went to Shiloh. His clothes were torn. He had dust on his head. 13When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair. He was by the side of the road. He was watching because his heart was really concerned about the ark of God. The man entered the town and told everyone what had happened. Then the whole town cried out.
14Eli heard the people crying out. He asked, “What’s the meaning of all this noise?”
The man hurried over to Eli. 15Eli was 98 years old. His eyes were so bad he couldn’t see. 16The man told Eli, “I’ve just come from the front lines of the battle. I just ran away from there today.”
Eli asked, “What happened, son?”
17The man who brought the news replied, “Israel ran away from the Philistines. Large numbers of men in the army were wounded or killed. Your two sons Hophni and Phinehas are also dead. And the ark of God has been captured.”
18When the man spoke about the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair. He had been sitting by the side of the gate. When he fell, he broke his neck and died. He was old and fat. He had led Israel for 40 years.
19The wife of Phinehas was pregnant. She was Eli’s daughter-in-law. It was near the time for her baby to be born. She heard the news that the ark of God had been captured. She heard that her father-in-law and her husband were dead. So she went into labor and had her baby. Her pain was more than she could bear. 20As she was dying, the women helping her spoke up. They said, “Don’t be afraid. You have had a son.” But she didn’t reply. She didn’t pay any attention.
21She named the boy Ichabod. She said, “The God of glory has left Israel.” She said it because the ark of God had been captured. She also said it because her father-in-law and her husband had died. 22She said, “The God of glory has left Israel.” She said it because the ark of God had been captured.
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1 Samuel 4: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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1 Samuel 4
4
1And Samuel’s words came to all Israel.
The Ark Captured by the Philistines
Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and # LXX reads In those days the Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel, and Israel went out to engage them in battle. They camped at Ebenezer # 1Sm 7:12 while the Philistines camped at Aphek. # Jos 12:18; 1Sm 29:1 2The Philistines lined up in battle formation against Israel, and as the battle intensified, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about 4,000 men on the battlefield.
3When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by the Philistines? # Jos 7:7-8 Let’s bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh. Then it # Or He will go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” # Nm 10:35; Jos 6:6 4So the people sent men to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. # Ex 25:22; Nm 7:89 Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5When the ark of the covenant of the Lord entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a loud shout that the ground shook. # Jos 6:5,20
6The Philistines heard the sound of the war cry and asked, “What’s this loud shout in the Hebrews’ camp? ” When the Philistines discovered that the ark of the Lord had entered the camp, 7they panicked. “The gods have entered their camp! ” they said. “Woe to us, nothing like this has happened before. # Lit yesterday or the day before 8Woe to us, who will rescue us from the hand of these magnificent gods? These are the gods that slaughtered the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9Show some courage and be men, Philistines! # 1Co 16:13 Otherwise, you’ll serve the Hebrews just as they served you. # Jdg 13:1; 1Sm 14:21 Now be men and fight! ”
10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, # Dt 28:15,25; 1Sm 4:2 and each man fled to his tent. # 2Sm 18:17; 2Kg 14:12 The slaughter was severe — 30,000 of the Israelite foot soldiers fell. 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died. # 1Sm 2:34; Ps 78:56-64
Eli’s Death and Ichabod’s Birth
12That same day, a Benjaminite man ran # 1Sm 8:11; Jos 7:22 from the battle and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, # Jos 7:6; 2Sm 1:2; 15:32; Neh 9:1 and there was dirt on his head. 13When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road watching, # 1Sm 1:9; 4:18 because he was anxious about the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the entire city cried out.
14Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion? ” The man quickly came and reported to Eli. 15At that time Eli was 98 years old, and his gaze was fixed # Lit his eyes stood ; 1Kg 14:4 because he couldn’t see. # 1Kg 14:4
16The man said to Eli, “I’m the one who came from the battle. # LXX reads camp I fled from there today.”
“What happened, my son? ” # 2Sm 1:4 Eli asked.
17The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from the Philistines, and also there was a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off the chair by the city gate, # 1Sm 4:13 and since he was old and heavy, his neck broke and he died. Eli had judged Israel 40 years.
19Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news about the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth because her labor pains came on her. 20As she was dying, # LXX reads And in her time of delivery, she was about to die the women taking care of her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son! ” # Gn 35:16-19 But she did not respond or pay attention. 21She named the boy Ichabod, # = Where is Glory? saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” # Ps 26:8; Jr 2:11 referring to the capture of the ark of God # 1Sm 4:11 and to the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22“The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “because the ark of God has been captured.”
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