Dual Panel1News about Samuel spread throughout Israel. Eli was very old, and his sons kept doing bad things before the Lord.
The Philistines Defeat the Israelites
At that time the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites made their camp at Ebenezer. The Philistines made their camp at Aphek.
2The Philistines lined up their soldiers in front of the Israelites and began the attack. The Philistines defeated the Israelites. They killed about 4000 soldiers from Israel’s army.
3The rest of the Israelite soldiers went back to their camp. The elders of Israel asked, “Why did the LORD let the Philistines defeat us? Let’s bring the Box of the LORD'S Agreement from Shiloh. God will go with us into battle and save us from our enemies.”
4So the people sent men to Shiloh. The men brought back the Box of the Agreement of the LORD All-Powerful. On top of the Box are the Cherub angels. They are like a throne where the Lord sits. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the Box.
5When the Box of the LORD'S Agreement came into the camp, all the Israelites gave a great shout loud enough to make the ground shake.
6The Philistines heard Israel’s shout and asked, “Why are the people so excited in the Hebrew camp?” Then the Philistines learned that the LORD'S Holy Box had been brought into Israel’s camp.
7They became afraid and said, “Gods have come to their camp! We’re in trouble. This has never happened before.
8We are worried. Who can save us from these powerful gods? These gods are the same ones that gave the Egyptians those diseases and terrible sicknesses.
9Be brave, Philistines. Fight like men. In the past they were our slaves, so fight like men or you will become their slaves.”
10So the Philistines fought very hard and defeated the Israelites. The Israelite soldiers ran away and went home. It was a terrible defeat for Israel. Thirty thousand Israelite soldiers were killed.
11The Philistines took God’s Holy Box and killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
12One of the men who ran from the battle was a man from the tribe of Benjamin. He tore his clothes and put dust on his head to show his great sadness.
13Eli was worried about the Holy Box, so he was sitting there by the city gate waiting and watching when the Benjamite man came into Shiloh and told the bad news. All the people in town began to cry loudly.
14Eli was 98 years old. He was blind, so he could not see what was happening, but he could hear the loud noise of the people crying. Eli asked, “Why are the people making this loud noise?” The Benjamite man ran to Eli and told him what happened.
15(4:14)
16He said, “I am the man who just came from the battle. I ran away from the battle today.” Eli asked, “What happened, son?”
17The Benjamite man answered, “Israel ran away from the Philistines. The Israelite army has lost many soldiers. Your two sons are both dead, and the Philistines took God’s Holy Box.”
18When the Benjamite man mentioned God’s Holy Box, Eli fell backward off his chair near the gate and broke his neck. Eli was old and fat, so he died. He had led Israel for 20 years.
The Glory Is Gone
19Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant. It was nearly time for her baby to be born. She heard the news that God’s Holy Box was taken. She also heard that her father-in-law Eli and her husband Phinehas were both dead. As soon as she heard the news, her pain started and she began giving birth to her baby.
20She was about to die when the women who were helping her said, “Don’t worry, you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention.
21She named the baby Ichabod, that is to say, “Israel’s glory has been taken away.” She did this because God’s Holy Box was taken away and because both her father-in-law and her husband were dead.
22She said, “Israel’s glory has been taken away” because the Philistines had taken God’s Holy Box.