1Samuel 4

The Philistines Capture the Ark

4And Samuel's words went out to all the people of Israel.H1697H8050H3478H3478H3318H7125H6430H4421H2583H72H6430H2583H6632The Philistines attacked and defeated the army of Israel, killing 4,000 men.H6430H6186H7125H3478H5203H4421H3478H5062H6440H6430H5221H4634H7704H702H505H3763After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?" Then they said, "Let's bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it

will save us from our enemies."H5971H935H4264H2205H3478H559H3068H5062H3117H6440H6430H3947H727H1285H3068H7887H935H7130H3467H3709H3414So they sent men to Shiloh to bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Heaven's Armies, who is enthroned between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were also there with the Ark of the Covenant of God.H5971H7971H7887H5375H727H1285H3068H6635H3427H3742H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H727H1285H4305When all the Israelites saw the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD coming into the camp, their shout of joy was so loud it made the ground shake!H727H1285H3068H935H4264H3478H7321H1419H8643H776H19496"What's going on?" the Philistines asked. "What's all the shouting about in the Hebrew camp?" When they were told it was because the Ark of the LORD had arrived,H6430H8085H6963H8643H559H6963H1419H8643H4264H5680H3045H727H3068H935H42647they panicked. "The gods have

come into their camp!" they cried. "This is a disaster! We have never had to face anything like this before!H6430H3372H559H430H935H4264H559H188H865H80328Help! Who can save us from these mighty gods of Israel? They are the same gods who destroyed the Egyptians with plagues when Israel was in the wilderness.H188H5337H3027H117H430H430H5221H4714H4347H40579Fight as never before, Philistines! If you don't, we will become the Hebrews' slaves just as they have been ours! Stand up like men and fight!"H2388H1961H582H6430H5647H5680H5647H1961H582H389810So the Philistines fought desperately, and Israel was defeated again. The slaughter was great; 30,000 Israelite soldiers died that day. The survivors turned and fled to their tents.H6430H3898H3478H5062H5127H376H168H3966H1419H4347H5307H3478H7970H505H727311The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were killed.H727H430H3947H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H4191

The Death of Eli

12A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief.H7323H376H1144H4634H935H7887H3117H4055H7167H127H721813Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town.H935H5941H3427H3678H1870H3027H3197H6822H3820H2730H727H430H376H935H5892H5046H5892H219914"What is all the noise about?" Eli asked. The messenger rushed over to Eli,H5941H8085H6963H6818H559H6963H1995H376H935H4116H5046H594115who was ninety-eight years old and blind.H5941H8673H8083H8141H1121H5869H6965H3201H720016He said to Eli, "I have just come from the battlefield—I was there this very day." "What happened, my son?" Eli demanded.H376H559H5941H935H4634H5127H3117H4634H559H1697H112117"Israel has been defeated by the Philistines," the messenger replied. "The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured."H1319H6030H559H3478H5127H6440H6430H1419H4046H5971H8147H1121H2652H6372H4191H727H430H394718When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel's judge for forty years.H2142H727H430H5307H3678H322H1157H3027H8179H4665H7665H4191H2204H376H3513H8199H3478H705H814119Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth.H3618H6372H802H2030H3205H8085H8052H413H727H430H3947H2524H376H4191H3766H3205H6735H201520She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. "Don't be afraid," they said. "You have a baby boy!" But she did not answer or pay attention to them.H6256H4191H5324H1696H3372H3205H1121H6030H7896H382021She named the child Ichabod (which means "Where is the glory?"), for she said, "Israel's glory is gone." She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead.H7121H5288H350H559H3519H1540H3478H413H727H430H3947H2524H37622Then she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured."

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