4 So, ·news about Samuel [or Samuel’s words] spread through all of Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark of the Agreement

At that time the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines [^Ca rival nation occupying the southwest coast of Israel]. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer [^Csomewhere near Aphek; means “stone of help”] and the Philistines [^Lcamped] at Aphek [^Con the plain of Sharon, northeast of Joppa]. ² The Philistines ·went [deployed; drew up in battlelines] to meet the Israelites in battle. And ·as the battle spread [or when battle was joined], they defeated the Israelites, killing about four thousand soldiers on the battlefield. ³ When ·some Israelite soldiers [^Lthe troops] went back to their camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord ·let the Philistines defeat us [or defeat/rout us before the Philistines]? Let’s bring the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] ·with [or of] the Lord [^Cthe Ark represented the presence of God; Ex. 25:10–22] here from Shiloh [1:3] and take it with us into battle. Then ·God [or it] will save us from the ·power [^Lhand] of our enemies.”

⁴ So the ·people [or troops] sent men to Shiloh [1:3]. They brought back the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] ·with [or of] the Lord [4:3] ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of Hosts], who sits ·between [on] the ·gold creatures with wings [^Lcherubim; ^Cpowerful angelic creatures]. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the Ark [^Lof the covenant of God].

⁵ When the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] ·with [or of] the Lord came into the camp, all the Israelites ·gave a great shout of joy [shouted with a great shout] that made the ground shake. ⁶ When the Philistines heard Israel’s shout, they asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”

Then the Philistines ·found out [realized; understood] that the Ark of the Lord had come into the Hebrew camp. ⁷ They were afraid and said, “·A god [or The gods; or God] has come into the Hebrew camp! ·We’re in trouble [^LWoe to us; Disaster]! This has never happened before! ⁸ ·How terrible it will be for [^LWoe to] us! Who can ·save [rescue; deliver] us from these powerful gods? ·They are the ones [These are the gods] who ·struck [^Tsmote] the Egyptians with ·all kinds of disasters [plagues] in the ·desert [wilderness; Ex. 7–12]. ⁹ Be brave, Philistines! Fight like men! In the past they were ·our [your] slaves. So fight like men, or ·we [you] will become their slaves.”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought hard and defeated the Israelites, and every ·Israelite soldier ran away to his own home [man fled to his tent]. It was a great ·defeat [slaughter] for Israel, because thirty thousand Israelite [foot] soldiers ·were killed [^Lfell]. ¹¹ The Ark of God was ·taken [captured] by the Philistines, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.