The Philistines Capture the Ark 1 ULT And the word of Samuel was to all of Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle. And they camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped 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 ULT And the Philistines arrayed to meet Israel, and the battle spread, and Israel was struck to the face of the Philistines. And they struck in the array in the field about 4, 000 men. 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 ULT And the people came into the camp, and the elders of Israel said,“Why did Yahweh strike us today to the face of the Philistines? Let us take for ourselves from Shiloh the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh, and it will come in our midst, and it will save us from the palm of our enemies.” 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 ULT So the people sent to Shiloh, and they carried from there the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh of Armies, sitter on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,{ were} there with the Box of the Covenant of God. 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 ULT And it happened at the coming of the Box of the Covenant of Yahweh into the camp that all of Israel shouted a great shout, and the earth resounded. 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 ULT And the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, and they said,“What{ is} the sound of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they learned that the Box of Yahweh had come into the camp. 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 ULT And the Philistines feared, for they said,“A god has come into the camp!” And they said,“Woe to us! For it was not like this yesterday{ or} the third day! 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 ULT Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are they, the gods having struck the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness. 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 ULT Strengthen yourselves and be men, Philistines, lest you serve for the Hebrews, just as they have served for you. So be men and fight!” 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 ULT And the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck and fled, a man to his tent. And it was a very great striking, for 30, 000 foot soldiers from Israel fell. 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 ULT And the Box of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. BSB BSB: The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
The Death of Eli 12 ULT And a man of Benjamin ran from the array and entered Shiloh on that day. And his clothes were torn, and earth was on his head. 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 ULT And he came, and behold, Eli was sitting on a seat at the side of the road, watching, for his heart{ was} afraid concerning the Box of God. And the man came into the city to report, and all of the city cried out. 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 ULT And Eli heard the sound of the outcry, and he said,“What{ is} the sound of this tumult?” And the man hurried and came and reported to Eli. BSB BSB: Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.
15 ULT Now Eli{ was} a son of 98 years. And his eyes had set, and he was not able to see. BSB BSB: Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his gaze was fixed because he could not see.
16 ULT And the man said to Eli,“I{ am} the one coming from the array, and I myself fled from the array today.” And he said,“What was the event, my son?” 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 ULT And the one bringing news answered and said,“Israel fled to the face of the Philistines. And also a great slaughter has been among the people. And also the two of your sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have died, and the Box of God has been taken.” 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 ULT And it happened, in his mentioning of the Box of God, that he fell backward from upon the seat at the side of the gate. And his neck was broken, and he died, for the man{ was} old and heavy. And he had judged Israel 40 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 ULT Now his daughter- in- law, the wife of Phinehas,{ was} pregnant,{ about} to give birth. And she heard the report about the Box of God being taken and{ that} her father- in- law had died and her husband. And she knelt down and gave birth, for her pangs turned themselves upon her. 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 ULT And about the time of her dying, then the ones standing over her said,“Do not fear, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer, for she did not set her heart. 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 ULT And she called the boy Ichabod, saying,“The glory has departed from Israel,” about the Box of God being taken and about her father- in- law and her husband. 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 ULT Now she said“the glory has departed from Israel” because the Box of God had been taken. 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.