1 Samuel 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Philistines Take the Ark

1 Thus the word ^H1697 of Samuel ^H8050 came ^H1961 to all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478. Now Israel ^H3478 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 the Philistines ^H6430 in battle ^H4421 and camped ^H2583 beside ^H5921 Ebenezer ^H72, and the Philistines ^H6430 camped ^H2583 in Aphek ^H663.

2 And the Philistines ^H6430 arranged ^H6186 themselves to meet ^H7122 Israel ^H3478. Then the battle ^H4421 spread ^H5203, and Israel ^H3478 was [fn]defeated ^H5062 before ^H6440 the Philistines ^H6430 who struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 about 4,000 ^H702 H505 men ^H376 on the battlefield ^H4634 H7704. 3 Then the people ^H5971 came ^H935 into the camp ^H4264, and the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559, “Why ^H4100 has Yahweh ^H3068 [fn]defeated ^H5062 us today ^H3117 before ^H6440 the Philistines ^H6430? Let us take ^H3947 to ourselves from Shiloh ^H7887 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068, that [fn]it may come ^H935 among ^H7130 us and save ^H3467 us from the power ^H3709 of our enemies ^H340.” 4 So the people ^H5971 sent ^H7971 to Shiloh ^H7887, and from there ^H8033 they carried ^H5375 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068 of hosts ^H6635 who sits ^H3427 above the cherubim ^H3742; and the two ^H8147 sons ^H1121 of Eli ^H5941, Hophni ^H2652 and Phinehas ^H6372, were there ^H8033 with the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of God ^H430.

5 And it happened that as the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068 came ^H935 into the camp ^H4264, all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 shouted ^H7321 with a great ^H1419 shout ^H8643, so that the earth ^H776 was thrown ^H1949 into ^H1949 confusion ^H1949. 6 Then the Philistines ^H6430 heard ^H8085 the noise ^H6963 of the shout ^H8643 and said ^H559, “What ^H4100 does the noise ^H6963 of this ^H2088 great ^H1419 shout ^H8643 in the camp ^H4264 of the Hebrews ^H5680 mean?” Then they knew ^H3045 that the ark ^H727 of Yahweh ^H3068 had come ^H935 into the camp ^H4264. 7 And the Philistines ^H6430 were ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, for they said ^H559, “God ^H430 has come ^H935 into the camp ^H4264.” And they said ^H559, “Woe ^H188 to us! For nothing ^H3808 like this ^H2088 has happened ^H1961 before ^H8543 H8032. 8 Woe ^H188 to us! Who ^H4310 shall deliver ^H5337 us from the hand ^H3027 of these ^H428 mighty ^H117 gods ^H430? These ^H428 are the gods ^H430 who struck ^H5221 the Egyptians ^H4714 with all ^H3605 kinds of plagues ^H4347 in the wilderness ^H4057. 9 Be ^H2388 strong ^H2388 and become men ^H376, O Philistines ^H6430, lest ^H6435 you become ^H5647 slaves ^H5647 to the Hebrews ^H5680, as they have been ^H5647 slaves ^H5647 to you; therefore, become men ^H376 and fight ^H3898.”

10 So the Philistines ^H6430 fought ^H3898, and Israel ^H3478 was [fn]defeated ^H5062, and every ^H376 man ^H376 fled ^H5127 to his tent ^H168; and the slaughter ^H4347 was very ^H3966 great ^H1419, for there fell ^H5307 of Israel ^H3478 30,000 ^H7970 H505 foot ^H7273 soldiers ^H7273. 11 And the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 was taken ^H3947; and the two ^H8147 sons ^H1121 of Eli ^H5941, Hophni ^H2652 and Phinehas ^H6372, died ^H4191.

The Death of Eli

12 Now a man ^H376 of Benjamin ^H1144 ran ^H7323 from the battle ^H4634 line ^H4634 and came ^H935 to Shiloh ^H7887 the same ^H1931 day ^H3117 with his robes ^H4055 torn ^H7167 and [fn]dust ^H127 on his head ^H7218.

13 And he came ^H935, and behold ^H2009, Eli ^H5941 was sitting ^H3427 on his seat ^H3678 [fn]by the road ^H1870 eagerly watching ^H6822 because ^H3588 his heart ^H3820 was trembling ^H2730 for the ark ^H727 of God ^H430. Now the man ^H376 came ^H935 to tell ^H5046 it in the city ^H5892, and all ^H3605 the city ^H5892 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199. 14 Then Eli ^H5941 heard ^H8085 the noise ^H6963 of the outcry ^H6818, and he said ^H559, “What ^H4100 does the noise ^H6963 of this ^H2088 commotion ^H1995 mean?” So the man ^H376 came ^H935 hurriedly ^H4116 and told ^H5046 Eli ^H5941. 15 Now Eli ^H5941 was ninety-eight ^H8673 H8083 years ^H8141 old ^H1121, and his eyes ^H5869 had set ^H6965 so that he could ^H3201 not see ^H7200. 16 And the man ^H376 said ^H559 to Eli ^H5941, “I am the one who came ^H935 from the battle ^H4634 line ^H4634. Indeed, I fled ^H5127 from the battle ^H4634 line ^H4634 today ^H3117.” And he said ^H559, “How ^H4100 did things ^H1697 go ^H1961, my son ^H1121?” 17 Then the one who brought ^H1319 the news ^H1319 answered ^H6030 and said ^H559, “Israel ^H3478 has fled ^H5127 before ^H6440 the Philistines ^H6430, and there has also ^H1571 been ^H1961 a great ^H1419 slaughter ^H4046 among the people ^H5971, and your two ^H8147 sons ^H1121 also ^H1571, Hophni ^H2652 and Phinehas ^H6372, are dead ^H4191, and the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 has been taken ^H3947.” 18 And it happened that when he mentioned ^H2142 the ark ^H727 of God ^H430, [fn]Eli fell ^H5307 off ^H4480 H5921 the seat ^H3678 backward ^H322 beside ^H5704 H3027 the gate ^H8179, and his neck ^H4665 was broken ^H7665, and he died ^H4191, for the man was ^H2204 old ^H2204 and heavy ^H3515. Thus he judged ^H8199 Israel ^H3478 forty ^H705 years ^H8141.

19 Now his daughter-in-law ^H3618, Phinehas’s ^H6372 wife ^H802, was with child ^H2030 and about to give ^H3205 birth ^H3205. And she heard ^H8085 the report ^H8052 that the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 was taken ^H3947 and that her father-in-law ^H2524 and her husband ^H376 had died ^H4191, so she kneeled ^H3766 down ^H3766 and gave ^H3205 birth ^H3205, for her pains ^H6735 came ^H2015 upon her. 20 And about the time ^H6256 of her death ^H4191 the women who stood ^H5324 by her said ^H1696 to her, “Do not be ^H3372 afraid ^H3372, for you have given ^H3205 birth ^H3205 to a son ^H1121.” But she did not answer ^H6030 or pay ^H7896 attention ^H3820. 21 And she called ^H7121 the boy ^H5288 [fn]Ichabod ^H350, saying ^H559, “The glory ^H3519 has departed ^H1540 from Israel ^H3478,” because ^H413 the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 was taken ^H3947 and because ^H413 of her father-in-law ^H2524 and her husband ^H376. 22 And she said ^H559, “The glory ^H3519 has departed ^H1540 from Israel ^H3478, for the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 was taken ^H3947.”