¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.^(A)

Death of Eli

¹² That same day a Benjamite^(B) ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust^(C) on his head. ¹³ When he arrived, there was Eli^(D) sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

¹⁴ Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli, ¹⁵ who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes^(E) had failed so that he could not see. ¹⁶ He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

¹⁷ The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead,^(F) and the ark of God has been captured.”^(G)

¹⁸ When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led^[a](H) Israel forty years.^(I)

¹⁷ Then the king ordered the guards at his side: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me.”

But the king’s officials were unwilling^(A) to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

¹⁸ The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.”^(B) So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.^{(C) 19} He also put to the sword^(D) Nob,^(E) the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep.

²⁰ But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub,^(F) named Abiathar,^(G) escaped and fled to join David.^(H)