1 ARST Samuel told to all the people of Israel the messages that God gave him. At that time the Israelite army went to fight against the army of the Philistine people. The Israelite army set up their tents at Ebenezer, and the Philistine army set up their tents at Aphek. BSB BSB: Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
2 ARST The Philistine army attacked the Israelite army, and as the battle continued, the Philistines defeated the Israelites and killed about four thousand of their soldiers. BSB BSB: The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.
3 ARST When the remaining Israelite soldiers returned to their camp, the Israelite elders said,“Why did Yahweh allow the Philistine army to defeat us today? We should bring the sacred chest here from Shiloh, in order that Yahweh will go with us when we go to the battle again, so that our enemies will not defeat us again!” BSB BSB: When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4 ARST So the soldiers sent some men to Shiloh, and those men brought back the sacred chest, the chest of Yahweh, who sat on a throne between the statues of winged creatures that were on top of the chest. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, went with them. BSB BSB: So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 ARST When the Israelite people saw the men bringing the sacred chest into their camp, they were so happy that they shouted loudly. They shouted so loudly that the ground shook! BSB BSB: When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a great shout that the ground shook.
6 ARST The Philistines asked,“What are the people in the Hebrew camp shouting about?” Someone told them that they were shouting because the sacred chest of Yahweh had been brought to them. BSB BSB: On hearing the noise of the shout, the Philistines asked, “What is this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they realized that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp,
7 ARST Then they became very afraid. They said,“Their God has come into their camp to help them! We are in big trouble now! Nothing like this has happened to us before! BSB BSB: the Philistines were afraid. “The gods have entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us, for nothing like this has happened before.
8 ARST No one can save us now! This is the God who made the people of Egypt suffer with many plagues before the Israelites left Egypt and traveled through the desert. BSB BSB: Woe to us! Who will 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.
9 ARST You Philistine men, be courageous! Fight very hard! If you do not do that, they will defeat us, and then you will become their slaves, just as they have been our slaves previously!” BSB BSB: Take courage and be men, O Philistines! Otherwise, you will serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!”
10 ARST So the Philistine men fought very hard, and they defeated the Israelites. They killed thirty thousand Israelite soldiers, and the other Israelite soldiers fled and ran away to their tents. BSB BSB: So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great—thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.
11 ARST The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’ s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. BSB BSB: The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 ARST On that same day, one man of the tribe descended from Benjamin ran from the place where the armies were fighting. He tore his clothes and threw soil on his head to show that he was very sad. He arrived at Shiloh late that afternoon. BSB BSB: That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
13 ARST Eli was waiting beside the road. He wanted to hear news about the battle, and he was also very anxious to know if anything bad had happened to God’ s sacred chest. When the messenger arrived and told people what had happened, everyone in the town started to cry loudly. BSB BSB: When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.
14 ARST Eli asked,“Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news. BSB BSB: Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.
15 ARST At that time, Eli was ninety- eight years old, and he was blind. BSB BSB: Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his gaze was fixed because he could not see.
16 ARST The messenger said to Eli,“I have just come from where the armies were fighting. I left there earlier today.” Eli asked,“What happened?” BSB BSB: “I have just come from the battle,” the man said to Eli. “I fled from there today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked.
17 ARST The man replied,“The Philistines defeated our army. They killed thousands of our soldiers, and the others ran away. The Philistines killed your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They also captured God’ s sacred chest.” BSB BSB: The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”
18 ARST Eli was very old, and he was very fat; and when he heard what had happened to the sacred chest, he fell backward from his seat beside the city gate. His neck was broken and he died. He had led the Israelite people for forty years. BSB BSB: As soon as the ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the city gate, and being old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. And Eli had judged Israel forty years.
19 ARST The wife of Eli’ s son Phinehas was pregnant, and it was almost time for her to give birth to her baby. When she heard that God’ s sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and her father- in- law were dead, her labor pains suddenly began and were too much for her. She quickly gave birth to a boy, but she began to die. BSB BSB: Now Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news of the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth, for her labor pains overtook her.
20 ARST As she was dying, the women who were helping her tried to encourage her by saying to her,“You have given birth to a son!” But she did not pay any attention to what they said. BSB BSB: As she was dying, the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay any heed.
21 ARST She named the boy Ichabod, which means“no glory,” because she said,“God’ s glory has departed from Israel.” She said that because God’ s sacred chest had been captured and because her husband and her father- in- law had died. BSB BSB: And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.
22 ARST She said,“God’ s glory has left Israel, because God’ s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died. BSB BSB: “The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “for the ark of God has been captured.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.