4 ¶ And Samuel spoke unto all Israel. Now at that time Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and pitched their camp beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines pitched theirs in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, who slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3 And when the people returned into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of the hosts, who dwells between the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with such a great shout that the earth trembled.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What great shout of joy is this in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! For yesterday and day before yesterday it was not so.
8 Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye not serve the Hebrews as they have served you; quit yourselves like men and fight.
10 ¶ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled each one into his tent, and there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.
11 And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12 ¶ And running out of the battle, a man of Benjamin came to Shiloh that same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head.
13 And when he came, behold Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and gave the news, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had become dim so that he could not see.
16 And the man said unto Eli, I come from the battle; I fled today out of the army. And he said unto him, What has happened, my son?
17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God was taken.
18 And it came to pass when he made mention of the ark of God, Eli fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 ¶ And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’s wife, was with child, near to be delivered, 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 had come upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not, for thou hast given birth to a son. But she did not answer, neither did she regard it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel! (Because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.)
22 Therefore, she said, The glory is departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken.