1Sam 4
1
And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines Gr. gather gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and
Israel went out to meet them
and encamped at Abenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphec.
2
And the Philistines prepare to fight with Israel, and Gr. the war the battle was turned against them; and the men of Israel
fell before the Philistines,
and there were smitten in the battle in the field four thousand men.
3
And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord caused
us to fall this day before the Philistines? let us take the ark of our God out of
Selom, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand
of our enemies.
4
And the people sent to Selom, and they take thence the ark of the Lord who dwells
between the cherubs: and both the sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were with the ark.
5
And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel
cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded.
6
And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, What is this great cry
in the camp of the Hebrews: and they understood that the ark of the Lord was come
into the camp.
7
And the Philistines feared, and said, These are the Gods that are come to them into
the camp.
8
Woe to us, O Lord, deliver us to-day for such a thing has not happened aforetime:
woe to us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the
Gods that smote Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness.
9
Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you
may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be you men and fight with them.
10
And they fought with them; and Gr. the man the men of Israel fall, and they fled every man to his ten; and there was a very
great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand Gr. ranks fighting men.
11
And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Heli, Ophni, and Phinees, died.
12
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Selom on that day:
and his clothes were rent, and earth was upon his head.
13
And he came, an behold, Heli was upon the seat by the gate looking along the way,
for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God: and the man entered into the
city to bring tidings; and the city cried out.
14
And Heli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What is the voice of this cry? and
the men hasted and went in, and reported to Heli.
15
Now Heli was Gr. a son of ninety years ninety years old, and his eyes Gr. rose up; Heb. hmq rose or stood were fixed, and
he saw not.
16
And Heli said to them that stood round about him, What is the voice of this sound?
And the man hasted and advanced to Heli, and said to him, I am he who is come out
of the camp, and I have fled from the battle to-day: and Heli said, What is the event,
my son?
17
And they young man answered and said, The men of Israel fled from the face of the
Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both your sons
are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18
And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat
backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for he was an old man
and heavy: and he judged Israel twenty years.
19
And his daughter-in-law the wife of Phinees was with child, about to bring forth;
and she heard the tidings, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law
and her husband were dead; and she wept and was delivered, for her pains came upon
her.
20
And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her, said
to her, Fear not, for you have born a son: but she answered not, and her heart did
not regard it.
21
And she called the child Uaebarchaboth, because of the ark of God, and because of
her father-in-law, and because of her husband.
22
And they said, The glory of Israel is departed, seeing that as the ark of the Lord
is taken.