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¹ And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.² And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined the battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.³ And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Yahweh smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among us, and 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 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.⁵ And when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.⁶ And 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 they understood that the ark of Yahweh came into the camp.⁷ And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! for there has not been such a thing before.⁸ Woe to us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.⁹ Be strong, and conduct yourselves like men, O you Philistines, or else you will be slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you: conduct yourselves like men, and fight.

¹⁰ And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.¹¹ And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

¹² And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth on his head.¹³ And he came and saw that Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, 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 hurried, and came and told Eli.¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see.¹⁶ And the man said to Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. And he said, How did it go, my son?¹⁷ And he that brought the tidings 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 is taken.¹⁸ And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [Eli] fell from off his 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' wife, was pregnant, 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 brought forth; for her pains came on her.²⁰ And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said to her, Don't be afraid; for you have brought forth a son. But she didn't answer, neither did she regard it.²¹ And she named the lad 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.²² And she said, The glory has departed from Israel; for the ark of God was taken.