¹² A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that same day, and his clothes were torn and earth was on his head. ¹³ When he came, there was^[a] Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road^[b] watching, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. Now the man had come to give his report^[c] in the city, and all the city cried out. ¹⁴ When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What is the noise of this commotion?” Then the man came quickly^[d] and told Eli. ¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety-eight years old^[e] and his eyes stayed fixed ahead^[f] and he was not able to see. ¹⁶ And the man said to Eli, “I am the one who has come from the battle line! I have fled today from the battle line!” And he said, “What exactly happened,^[g] my son?” ¹⁷ Then the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines. There has been a great defeat among the troops. Also, your two sons have died, Hophni and Phinehas, and the ark of God has been captured.” ¹⁸ Just as he mentioned the ark of God, he^[h] fell from his chair backwards against the side of the gate. He broke his neck and died, because the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹ Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news concerning the capture of the ark of God and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she went into labor^[i] and gave birth, because her labor pains came upon her. ²⁰ Just before the time of her death, those attending her^[j] said, “Do not fear, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer, or pay any attention.^{[k] 21} She called the boy Ichabod,^[l] saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and concerning her father-in-law and husband. ²² And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God was captured.”^[m]