1 Samuel 4 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Philistines Take the Ark

Thus the word^H1697 of Samuel^H8050 came^H1961 to all^H3605 Israel^H3478. Now Israel^H3478 went^H3318 out^H3318 to meet^H7122 the Philistines^H6430 in battle^H4421 and camped^H2583 beside^H5921 Ebenezer^H72, and the Philistines^H6430 camped^H2583 in Aphek^H663.

1Sa 4:2

1Sa 4:2And the Philistines arranged themselves to meet Israel. Then the battle spread, and Israel was [fn]defeated before the Philistines who struck down about 4,000 men on the battlefield.

1Sa 4:3

1Sa 4:3Then the people came into the camp, and the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh [fn]defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, that [fn]it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

1Sa 4:4

1Sa 4:4So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1Sa 4:5

And it happened that as the ark^H727 of the covenant^H1285 of Yahweh^H3068 came^H935 into the camp^H4264, all^H3605 Israel^H3478 shouted^H7321 with a great^H1419 shout^H8643, so that the earth^H776 was thrown^H1949 into^H1949 confusion^H1949.

1Sa 4:6

1Sa 4:6Then the Philistines heard the noise of the shout and said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they knew that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp.

1Sa 4:7

1Sa 4:7And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.

1Sa 4:8

1Sa 4:8“Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

1Sa 4:9

1Sa 4:9“Be strong and become men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you; therefore, become men and fight.”

1Sa 4:10

So the Philistines^H6430 fought^H3898, and Israel^H3478 was [fn]defeated^H5062, and every^H376 man^H376 fled^H5127 to his tent^H168; and the slaughter^H4347 was very^H3966 great^H1419, for there fell^H5307 of Israel^H3478 30,000^H7970^H505 foot^H7273 soldiers^H7273.

1Sa 4:11

1Sa 4:11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The Death of Eli

1Sa 4:12

Now a man^H376 of Benjamin^H1144 ran^H7323 from the battle^H4634 line^H4634 and came^H935 to Shiloh^H7887 the same^H1931 day^H3117 with his robes^H4055 torn^H7167 and [fn]dust^H127 on his head^H7218.

1Sa 4:13

1Sa 4:13And he came, and behold, Eli was sitting on his seat [fn]by the road eagerly watching because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. Now the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.

1Sa 4:14

1Sa 4:14Then Eli heard the noise of the outcry, and he said, “What does the noise of this commotion mean?” So the man came hurriedly and told Eli.

1Sa 4:15

1Sa 4:15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had set so that he could not see.

1Sa 4:16

1Sa 4:16And the man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I fled from the battle line today.” And he said, “How did things go, my son?”

1Sa 4:17

1Sa 4:17Then the one who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”

1Sa 4:18

1Sa 4:18And it happened that when he mentioned the ark of God, [fn]Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken, and he died, for the man was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years.

1Sa 4:19

Now his daughter-in-law^H3618, Phinehas’s^H6372 wife^H802, was with child^H2030 and about to give^H3205 birth^H3205. And she heard^H8085 the report^H8052 that the ark^H727 of God^H430 was taken^H3947 and that her father-in-law^H2524 and her husband^H376 had died^H4191, so she kneeled^H3766 down^H3766 and gave^H3205 birth^H3205, for her pains^H6735 came^H2015 upon her.

1Sa 4:20

1Sa 4:20And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention.

1Sa 4:21

1Sa 4:21And she called the boy [fn]Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

1Sa 4:22