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.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 4: NIrV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Shemu’ĕl Aleph (1 Samuel) 4
4
1Thus the word of Shemu’ĕl was to all Yisra’ĕl. And Yisra’ĕl went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Eḇen Ha‛ĕzer, while the Philistines encamped in Aphĕq.
2And the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Yisra’ĕl. And when the battle spread, Yisra’ĕl was stricken by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3And when the people came into the camp, the elders of Yisra’ĕl said, “Why has יהוה smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of יהוה from Shiloh to us, so that He comes into our midst and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4And the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of יהוה of hosts, dwelling between the keruḇim. And the two sons of Ěli, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, were there with the ark of the covenant of Elohim.
5And when the ark of the covenant of יהוה came into the camp, all Yisra’ĕl shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they knew that the ark of יהוה had come into the camp,
7the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “Elohim has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For it has never been like this before.
8“Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty Elohim? These are the Elohim who struck the Mitsrites with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9“Be strong and be men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”
10And the Philistines fought, and Yisra’ĕl was smitten, and every man fled to his tent. And the slaughter was very great, and there fell of Yisra’ĕl thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11And the ark of Elohim was captured, and the two sons of Ěli died, Ḥophni and Pineḥas.
12And a man of Binyamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his garments torn and dirt on his head.
13And he came in and saw Ěli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of Elohim. And the man came into the city and reported it, and all the city cried out.
14And Ěli heard the noise of the outcry and said, “What is the noise of this uproar?” And the man came hastily and informed Ěli.
15Now Ěli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were so dim that he was unable to see.
16And the man said to Ěli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.” And he said, “What was the matter, my son?”
17And the messenger answered and said, “Yisra’ĕl has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. And your two sons have died, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, and the ark of Elohim has been captured.”
18And it came to be, when he made mention of the ark of Elohim, that Ěli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate. And his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he ruled Yisra’ĕl forty years.
19And his daughter-in-law, Pineḥas’ wife, was pregnant, about to bear. And when she heard the news that the ark of Elohim was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth, because her pains came upon her.
20And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, nor did she set her heart to it.
21And she called the child Iḵaḇoḏ, saying, “The esteem has departed from Yisra’ĕl!” because the ark of Elohim was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22And she said, “The esteem has departed from Yisra’ĕl, for the ark of Elohim was taken.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright© 1993 – 2015 by the Institute for Scripture Research (ISR). All rights reserved.