1Samuel:4

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* And the word of Samuel came to all Israel . Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines , and encamped beside Ebenezer ; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek . * Then the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel . And when they joined battle , Israel was defeated by the Philistines , who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field . * And when the people had come into the camp , the elders of Israel said , "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines ? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us , that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies ." * So the people sent to Shiloh , that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts , who dwells between the cherubim . And the two sons of Eli , Hophni and Phinehas , were there with the ark of the covenant of God . * And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp , all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth shook . * Now when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout , they said , "What does the sound 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 . * So the Philistines were afraid , for they said , "God has come into the camp !" And they said , "Woe to us ! For such a thing has never happened before . * Woe to us ! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods ? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness . * Be strong and conduct yourselves like men , you Philistines , that you do not become servants of the Hebrews , as they have been to you . Conduct yourselves like men , and fight !" * So the Philistines fought , and Israel was defeated , and every man fled to his tent . There was a very great slaughter , and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers . * Also the ark of God was captured ; and the two sons of Eli , Hophni and Phinehas , died . * Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day , and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head . * Now when he came , there was Eli , sitting on a seat by the wayside 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 . * When Eli heard the noise of the outcry , he said , "What does the sound of this tumult mean ?" And the man came quickly and told Eli . * Eli was ninety-eight years old , and his eyes were so dim that he could not see . * Then the man said to Eli , "I am he who came from the battle . And I fled today from the battle line ." And he said , "What happened , my son ?" * So the messenger answered and said , "Israel has fled before the Philistines , and there has been a great slaughter among the people . Also your two sons , Hophni and Phinehas , are dead ; and the ark of God has been captured ." * Then it happened , when he made mention of the ark of God , that Eli fell off the seat backward by 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 forty years . * Now his daughter-in-law , Phinehas ' wife , was with child , due to be delivered ; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured , and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead , she bowed herself and gave birth , for her labor pains came upon her . * And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her , "Do not fear , for you have borne a son ." But she did not answer , nor did she regard it . * Then she named the child Ichabod , saying , "The glory has departed from Israel !" because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband . * And she said , "The glory has departed from Israel , for the ark of God has been captured ."

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