⁴⁴ Nevertheless, in their presumption they went up^(A) toward the highest point in the hill country, though neither Moses nor the ark of the Lord’s covenant moved from the camp.^(B)

⁴³ So I told you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the Lord’s command and in your arrogance you marched up into the hill country.

³ When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why^(A) did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark^(B) of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh,^(C) so that he may go with us^(D) and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

⁴ So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim.^(E) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout^(F) that the ground shook. ⁶ Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew^(G) camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid.^(H) “A god has^[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck^(I) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues^(J) in the wilderness. ⁹ Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they^(K) have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated^(L) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.^(M)

⁶ Moses sent them into battle,^(A) a thousand from each tribe, along with Phinehas^(B) son of Eleazar, the priest, who took with him articles from the sanctuary^(C) and the trumpets^(D) for signaling.

³⁰ “‘But anyone who sins defiantly,^(A) whether native-born or foreigner,^(B) blasphemes the Lord^(C) and must be cut off from the people of Israel.^(D)

³³ So they set out^(A) from the mountain of the Lord and traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord^(B) went before them during those three days to find them a place to rest.^(C)