Division of the Rest of the Land

18 The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh^(A) and set up the tent of meeting^(B) there. The country was brought under their control,

²⁷ And the Israelites inquired of the Lord.^(A) (In those days the ark of the covenant of God^(B) was there,

²⁸ with Phinehas son of Eleazar,^(A) the son of Aaron, ministering before it.)^(B) They asked, “Shall we go up again to fight against the Benjamites, our fellow Israelites, or not?”

The Lord responded, “Go, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.^(C)”

³ When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why^(A) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark^(B) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,^(C) so that he may go with us^(D) and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.^(A) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.