4 And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer,^(A) and the Philistines at Aphek.^{(B) 2} The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. ³ When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why^(C) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark^(D) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,^(E) so that he may go with us^(F) 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.^(G) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout^(H) that the ground shook. ⁶ Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew^(I) camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid.^(J) “A god has^[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck^(K) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues^(L) in the wilderness. ⁹ Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they^(M) have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated^(N) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.^(O)