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)

Achish Sends David Back to Ziklag

29 The Philistines gathered^(A) all their forces at Aphek,^(B) and Israel camped by the spring in Jezreel.^(C)

¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(A) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[a](B) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

The Ark in Ashdod and Ekron

5 After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer^(A) to Ashdod.^(B)

³⁰ The rest of them escaped to the city of Aphek,^(A) where the wall collapsed^(B) on twenty-seven thousand of them. And Ben-Hadad fled to the city and hid^(C) in an inner room.

¹¹ And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.^(A)