The Israelites are overcome by the Philistines at Eben-ezer.

1 ¶ And the wordº of Samuelº came² to all² Israel.º Now Israelº went outºª againstºª the Philistinesº to battle,º and pitchedºª beside² Ebenezer:º and the Philistinesº pitchedºª in Aphek.º 2 And the Philistinesº put themselves in arrayºª againstºª Israel:º and when they joinedºª battle,º Israelº was smittenºª beforeº the Philistines:º and they slewºª of the armyº in the fieldº about fourº thousandº men.º

They fetch the Ark to the terror of the Philistines.

3 ¶ And when the peopleº were comeºª into² the camp,º the eldersº of Israelº said,ºª Wherefore² hath the LORDº smittenºª us to dayº beforeº the Philistines?º Let us fetchºª² the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº out of Shilohº² unto² us, that, when it comethºª amongº us, it may saveºª us out of the handº² of our enemies.ºª 4 So the peopleº sentºª to Shiloh,º that they might bringºª from thence²²² the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº of hosts,º which dwellethºª [between] the cherubims:º and the twoº sonsº of Eli,º Hophniº and Phinehas,º [were] there² with² the arkº of the covenantº of God.º 5 And when the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº cameºª into² the camp,º all² Israelº shoutedºª with a greatº shout,º so that the earthº rang² again.¹ª 6 And when the Philistinesº heardºª² the noiseº of the shout,º they said,ºª What² [meaneth] the noiseº of this² greatº shoutº in the campº of the Hebrews?º And they understoodºª that² the arkº of the LORDº was comeºª into² the camp.º 7 And the Philistinesº were afraid,ºª for² they said,ºª Godº is comeºª into² the camp.º And they said,ºª Woeº unto us! for² there hath not² been² such a thing² heretofore.ºº 8 Woeº unto us! who² shall deliverºª us out of the handº² of these² mightyº Gods?º these² [are] the Godsº that smoteºª² the Egyptiansº with all² the plaguesº in the wilderness.º 9 Be strong,ºª and quitºª yourselves like men,¹² O ye Philistines,º that ye be not servantsºª² unto the Hebrews,º as² they have beenºª to you: quitºª yourselves like men,¹² and fight.ºª

They are smitten again, the Ark taken, Hophni and Phinehas are slain.

10 ¶ And the Philistinesº fought,ºª and Israelº was smitten,ºª and they fledºª every manº into his tent:º and there was² a veryº greatº slaughter;º for there fellºª of Israelº² thirtyº thousandº footmen.º 11 And the arkº of Godº was taken;ºª and the twoº sonsº of Eli,º Hophniº and Phinehas,º were slain.ºª

Eli, at the news, falling backward, breaketh his neck.

12 ¶ And there ranºª a manº of Benjaminº out of the army,º² and cameºª to Shilohº the same² dayº with his clothesº rent,ºª and with earthº upon² his head.º 13 And when he came,ºª lo,² Eliº satºª upon² a seatº by the waysideºº¹ª watching:ºª for² his heartº trembledº for² the arkº of God.º And when the manº cameºª into the city,º and toldºª [it], all² the cityº cried out.ºª 14 And when Eliº heardºª² the noiseº of the crying,º he said,ºª What² [meaneth] the noiseº of this² tumult?º And the manº cameºª in hastily,ºª and toldºª Eli.º 15 Now Eliº was ninety¹² and eightº yearsº old;º and his eyesº were dim,ºª that he couldºª not² see.ºª 16 And the manº saidºª unto² Eli,º I² [am] he that cameºª out of² the army,º and I² fledºª to dayº out of² the army.º And he said,ºª What² is² there done,º my son?º 17 And the messengerºª answeredºª and said,ºª Israelº is fledºª beforeº the Philistines,º and there hath been² also² a greatº slaughterº among the people,º and thy twoº sonsº also,² Hophniº and Phinehas,º are dead,ºª and the arkº of Godº is taken.ºª 18 And it came to pass,² when he made mentionºª of² the arkº of God,º that he fellºª from off²² the seatº backwardº byº the sideº of the gate,º and his neckº brake,ºª and he died:ºª for² he was an oldºª man,º and heavy.¹ª² And he² had judgedºª² Israelº fortyº years.º

Phinehas' wife, discouraged in her travail with Ichabod, dieth.

19 ¶ And his daughter in law,º Phinehas'º wife,º was with child,º [near] to be delivered:ºª and when she heardºª² the tidingsº that¹ the arkº of Godº was taken,ºª and that her father in lawº and her husbandº were dead,ºª she bowed¹ª herself² and travailed;ºª for² her painsº cameºª upon² her. 20 And about the timeº of her deathºª the women that stoodºª by her saidºª unto² her, Fearºª not;² for² thou hast bornºª a son.º But she answeredºª not,² neither² did she regardººª [it]. 21 And she namedºª the childº Ichabod,º saying,ºª The gloryº is departedºª from Israel:º² becauseº the arkº of Godº was taken,ºª and because² of her father in lawº and her husband.º 22 And she said,ºª The gloryº is departedºª from Israel:º² for² the arkº of Godº is taken.ºª