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.”