Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 4

Philistines Take the Ark in Victory

¹ So the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and they camped beside ^(C1)Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped in ^(C2)Aphek.² Then the Philistines drew up in battle formation to meet Israel. When the battle ^(F1)spread, Israel was ^(F2)defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield.³ When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "^(C1)Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? ^(C2)Let's take the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that He may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies."⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD of armies ^(C1)who is enthroned above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD was coming into the camp, ^(C1)all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.⁶ And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" Then they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.⁷ So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!" And they said, "^(C1)Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.⁸ "Woe to us! Who will save 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 "^(C1)Take courage and be men, Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, ^(C2)as they have been slaves to you; so be men and fight!"

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought and ^(C1)Israel was defeated, and ^(C2)every man fled to his tent; and the defeat was very great, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.¹¹ Moreover, the ark of God was taken; and ^(C1)the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

¹² Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with ^(C1)his clothes torn, and ^(F1)dust on his head.¹³ When he came, behold, ^(C1)Eli was sitting on his seat ^(F1)by the road keeping watch, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. And the man came to give a report in the city, and all the city cried out.¹⁴ When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, "What does the noise of this commotion mean?" Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and ^(C1)his eyes were ^(F1)fixed and he could not see.¹⁶ The man said to Eli, "I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today." And he said, "^(C1)How are things, my son?"¹⁷ Then the one who brought the news replied, "Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great defeat among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas are also dead; and the ark of God has been taken."¹⁸ When he mentioned the ark of God, ^(F1)(C1)Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for ^(F2)he was old and heavy. And so he judged Israel for forty years.

¹⁹ Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, because her pains came upon her.²⁰ And about the time of her death the women who were standing by her said to her, "^(C1)Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son." But she did not answer or pay attention.²¹ And she named the boy ^(F1)Ichabod, saying, "^(C1)The glory has departed from Israel," because ^(C2)the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.²² So she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been taken."

Chapter 28

Safe at Malta

¹ When ^(C1)they had been brought safely through, ^(C2)then we found out that ^(C3)the island was called ^(F1)Malta.^2 (C1)The ^(F1)natives showed us extraordinary kindness, for they kindled a fire and ^(C2)took us all in because of the rain that had started and because of the cold.³ But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out ^(F1)because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.⁴ When ^(C1)the ^(F1)natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "^(C2)Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, ^(F2)justice has not allowed him to live."⁵ However, ^(F1)(C1)Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.⁶ Now they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and ^(C1)began to say that he was a god.

⁷ Now in the neighboring parts of that place were lands belonging to the ^(F1)leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us warmly for three days.⁸ And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with a recurring fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after he ^(C1)prayed, he ^(C2)laid his hands on him and healed him.⁹ After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and being cured.¹⁰ They also showed us many honors, and when we were about to set sail, they ^(F1)supplied us with ^(F2)everything we needed.

Paul Arrives in Rome

¹¹ After three months we set sail on ^(C1)an Alexandrian ship which had wintered at the island, and which had ^(F1)the Twin Brothers for its figurehead.¹² After we put in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.¹³ From there we sailed around and arrived at Rhegium, and a day later a south wind came up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.^14 (F1)There we found some ^(C1)brothers and sisters, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and that is how we came to Rome.¹⁵ And from there the ^(C1)brothers and sisters, when they heard about us, came as far as the ^(F1)Market of Appius and the ^(F2)Three Inns to meet us; and when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶ When we entered Rome, Paul was ^(C1)allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.<