1 Samuel 4 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Philistines Take the Ark in Victory

1 So 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 they camped ^H2583 beside ^H5921 Ebenezer ^H72, while the Philistines ^H6430 camped ^H2583 in Aphek ^H663.

2 Then the Philistines ^H6430 drew ^H6186 up ^H6186 in ^H6186 battle ^H6186 formation ^H6186 to meet ^H7122 Israel ^H3478. When the battle ^H4421 [fn]spread ^H5203, Israel ^H3478 was [fn]defeated ^H5062 by the Philistines ^H6430, who killed ^H5221 about four ^H702 thousand ^H505 men ^H376 on the battlefield ^H4634 H7704. 3 When the people ^H5971 came ^H935 into the camp ^H4264, the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478 said ^H559, “Why ^H4100 has the LORD ^H3068 defeated ^H5062 us today ^H3117 before ^H6440 the Philistines ^H6430? Let’s take ^H3947 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of the LORD ^H3068 from Shiloh ^H7887, so that He 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 men to Shiloh ^H7887, and from there ^H8033 they carried ^H5375 the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of the LORD ^H3068 of armies ^H6635 who is ^H3427 enthroned ^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 as the ark ^H727 of the covenant ^H1285 of the LORD ^H3068 was coming ^H935 into the camp ^H4264, all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 shouted ^H7321 with a great ^H1419 shout ^H8643, so that the earth ^H776 resounded ^H1949. 6 And when the Philistines ^H6430 heard ^H8085 the noise ^H6963 of the shout ^H8643, they 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 understood ^H3045 that the ark ^H727 of the LORD ^H3068 had come ^H935 into the camp ^H4264. 7 So 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 will save ^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 Take ^H2388 courage ^H2388 and be men ^H376, Philistines ^H6430, or ^H6435 you will become ^H5647 slaves ^H5647 to the Hebrews ^H5680, as they have been ^H5647 slaves ^H5647 to you; so be men ^H376 and fight ^H3898!”

10 So the Philistines ^H6430 fought ^H3898 and Israel ^H3478 was defeated ^H5062, and every ^H376 man ^H376 fled ^H5127 to his tent ^H168; and the defeat ^H4347 was very ^H3966 great ^H1419, for thirty ^H7970 thousand ^H505 foot ^H7273 soldiers ^H7273 of Israel ^H3478 fell ^H5307. 11 Moreover, 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.

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 clothes ^H4055 torn ^H7167, and [fn]dust ^H127 on his head ^H7218. 13 When he came ^H935, behold ^H2009, Eli ^H5941 was sitting ^H3427 on his seat ^H3678 [fn]by the road ^H1870 keeping ^H6822 watch ^H6822, because ^H3588 his heart ^H3820 was anxious ^H2730 about ^H5921 the ark ^H727 of God ^H430. And the man ^H376 came ^H935 to give ^H5046 a ^H5046 report ^H5046 in the city ^H5892, and all ^H3605 the city ^H5892 cried ^H2199 out ^H2199. 14 When Eli ^H5941 heard ^H8085 the noise ^H6963 of the outcry ^H6818, he said ^H559, “What ^H4100 does the noise ^H6963 of this ^H2088 commotion ^H1995 mean?” Then 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 were [fn]fixed ^H6965 and he could ^H3201 not see ^H7200. 16 The man ^H376 said ^H559 to Eli ^H5941, “I am the one who came ^H935 from the battle ^H4634 line ^H4634. Indeed, I escaped ^H5127 from the battle ^H4634 line ^H4634 today ^H3117.” And he said ^H559, “How ^H4100 are things ^H1697, my son ^H1121?” 17 Then the one who brought ^H1319 the news ^H1319 replied ^H6030, “Israel ^H3478 has fled ^H5127 before ^H6440 the Philistines ^H6430 and there has also ^H1571 been ^H1961 a great ^H1419 defeat ^H4046 among the people ^H5971, and your two ^H8147 sons ^H1121, Hophni ^H2652 and Phinehas ^H6372 are also ^H1571 dead ^H4191; and the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 has been taken ^H3947.” 18 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 [fn]he was ^H2204 old ^H2204 and heavy ^H3515. And so he judged ^H8199 Israel ^H3478 for forty ^H705 years ^H8141.

19 Now his daughter-in-law ^H3618, Phinehas’ ^H6372 wife ^H802, was pregnant ^H2030 and about to give ^H3205 birth ^H3205; and when she heard ^H8085 the news ^H8052 that the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 had been taken ^H3947 and that her father-in-law ^H2524 and her husband ^H376 had died ^H4191, she kneeled ^H3766 down ^H3766 and gave ^H3205 birth ^H3205, because ^H3588 her pains ^H6735 came ^H2015 upon her. 20 And about the time ^H6256 of her death ^H4191 the women who were standing ^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 named ^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 had been taken ^H3947 and because ^H413 of her father-in-law ^H2524 and her husband ^H376. 22 So she said ^H559, “The glory ^H3519 has departed ^H1540 from Israel ^H3478, because ^H3588 the ark ^H727 of God ^H430 has been taken ^H3947.”