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4 And Samuel spoke to all Israel. And Israel went out against the Philistines to battle and camped beside Ebenezer. And the Philistines camped in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in formation against Israel. And when they joined the battle, Israel was struck down before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3 So, when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD struck us down this day before the Philistines? Let us bring the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh to us, so that when it comes among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.”
4 Then the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD of Hosts, Who dwells between the Cherubims. And there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, with the Ark of the Covenant of God.
5 And when the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted a mighty shout, so that the Earth echoed.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What is the meaning of the sound of this mighty shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” And they understood that the Ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, and said, “God has come into the camp!” Therefore, they said, “Woe to us! For it has not been so until now.
8 “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? These are the Gods Who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness!
9 “Be strong and play the men, O Philistines, so that you will not be servants to the Hebrews as they have served you! Be valiant, therefore, and fight!”
10 And the Philistines fought. And Israel was struck down; and every man fled into his tent. And there was an exceedingly great slaughter. For thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.
11 And the Ark of God was taken. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 And the same day, a man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and earth upon his head.
13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the roadside, waiting. For his heart feared for the Ark of God. And when the man came into the city to tell it, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does this noise of tumult mean?” And the man came in, hastily, and told Eli.
15 Now, Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see.
16 And the man said to Eli, “I came from the army, and I fled this day out of the camp.” And he said, “What has happened, my son?”
17 Then the messenger answered, and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines; and there has also been a great slaughter among the people. And moreover, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead. And the Ark of God has been taken.”
18 And when he mentioned of the Ark of God, Eli fell from his seat, backward, by the side of the gate. And his neck was broken, and he died. For he was an old man and heavy. And he had judged Israel for forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near labor. And when she heard the report that the Ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself, and went into labor. For her pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death, the women that stood around her said to her, “Do not fear. For you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention.
21 And she named the child, Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the Ark of God was taken,” and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 She said again, “The glory has departed from Israel! For the Ark of God has been taken!”
5 Then the Philistines took the Ark of God and carried it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.
2 The Philistines took the Ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3 And when they of Ashdod rose the next day, in the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground, before the Ark of the LORD. And they took up Dagon and set him in his place again.
4 They also rose up early in the morning the next day. And behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face on the ground, before the Ark of the LORD. And the head of Dagon and the two palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold. Only the stump of Dagon was left of him.
5 Therefore, the priests of Dagon, and all who come into Dagon’s house, do not walk on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day.
6 But the Hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and destroyed them, and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territories.
7 And when the men of Ashdod saw this, they said, “Do not let the Ark of the God of Israel remain with us! For His Hand is severe upon us, and upon Dagon, our god!”
8 They sent, therefore, and gathered all the princes of the Philistines to them, and said, “What shall we do with the Ark of the God of Israel?” And they answered, “Let the Ark of the God of Israel be carried around to Gath.” And they carried the Ark of the God of Israel around.
9 And when they had carried it around, the Hand of the LORD was against the city with very great destruction. And He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and they had tumors break out.
10 Therefore, they sent the Ark of God to Ekron. And as soon as the Ark of God came to Ekron, the Ekronites cried out, saying, “They have brought theArk of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people!”
11 Therefore they sent and gathered together all the princes of the Philistines, and said, “Send away the Ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people!” For there was a destruction and death throughout all the city; and the Hand of God was very severe there.
12 And the men who did not die were struck with the tumors. And the cry of the city went up to Heaven.
6 So the Ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines for seven months.
2 And the Philistines called the priests and the soothsayers, saying, “What shall we do with the Ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it home again?”
3 And they said, “If you send away the Ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but give it a Sin Offering. Then you shall be healed, and it shall be revealed to you why His Hand has not departed from you.”
4 Then they said, “What shall be the Sin Offering which we shall give to it?” And they answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the princes of the Philistines. For one plague was on you all, and on your princes.
5 “Therefore, you shall make the likenesses of your tumors and the likenesses of your rats who destroy the land. So you shall give glory to the God of Israel, so that He may take His Hand from you and from your gods and from your land.
6 “Why, then, should you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts when He wrought mightily among them? Did they not let them go, and they departed?
7 “Now, therefore, make a new cart, and take two milk cows, upon which there has never come a yoke. And tie the cows to the cart and bring the calves home from them.
8 “Then take the Ark of the LORD and set it upon the cart. And put the jewels of gold, which you give it for a Sin Offering, in a coffer by its side. And send it away, so that it may go.
9 “And watch. If it goes up by way of its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, it is He who brought us this great calamity. But if not, we shall know then that it is not His Hand that struck us. It happened to us by chance.”
10 And the men did so. For they took two cows that gave milk and tied them to the cart and shut up the calves at home.
11 So, they set the Ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the rats of gold, and with the likenesses of their tumors.
12 And the cows went the straight way to Beth Shemesh, and kept one path, and lowed as they went, and turned neither to the right nor to the left. Also, the princes of the Philistines went after them to the borders of Beth Shemesh.
13 Now, they of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And they lifted up their eyes and spied the Ark and rejoiced when they saw it.
14 And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth Shemite, and stood still there. There was also a great stone. And they split the wood of the cart and offered the cow for a Burnt Offering to the LORD.
15 And the Levites took down the Ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it (in which the jewels of gold were) and put them on the great stone. And the men of Beth Shemesh offered Burnt Offering and sacrificed Sacrifices that same day to the LORD.
16 And when the five princes of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17 So these are the golden tumors which the Philistines gave for a Sin Offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Askelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron;
18 and golden rats (according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines) to the five princes (both of walled towns and of towns unwalled) as far as the great Stone of Abel, upon which they set the Ark of the LORD (which remains to this day in the field of Joshua, the Beth Shemite).
19 And He struck some of the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked in the Ark of the LORD. He killed fifty thousand seventy men among the people. And the people lamented because the LORD had killed the people with so great a slaughter.
20 Therefore, the men of Beth Shemesh said, “Who is able to stand before this Holy LORD God? And to whom shall He go from us?”
21 And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have brought back the Ark of the LORD. Come down! Take it up to you!”
7 Then, the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took up the Ark of the LORD and brought it into the house of Abinadab, on the hill. And they sanctified Eleazar, his son, to keep the Ark of the LORD.
2 (For the Ark had stayed in Kirjath Jearim a long time, for twenty years.) And all the House of Israel lamented after the LORD.
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the House of Israel, saying, “If you have come back to the LORD with all your heart, put away the strange gods from among you, and Ashtoreth, and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him only; and He shall deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
4 Then, the children of Israel did put away Baal and Ashtoreth and served the LORD only.
5 And Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you to the LORD.”
6 And they gathered together to Mizpah and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted the same day, and said there, “We have sinned against the LORD!” And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpah.
7 When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together in Mizpah, the princes of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard that, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease crying to the LORD our God for us, so that He may save us out of the hand of the Philistines!”
9 Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it all together for a Burnt Offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried to the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.
10 And as Samuel offered the Burnt Offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a great thunder upon the Philistines that day and scattered them. So they were killed before Israel.
11 And the men of Israel went from Mizpah and pursued the Philistines and struck them until they came under Beth Car.
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name, Ebenezer. And he said, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.”
13 So the Philistines were subdued. And they no longer came back into the territory of Israel. And the Hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life.
14 Also, the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron all the way to Gath. And Israel delivered the territories of the same out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15 And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life,
16 and went about year after year to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah and judged Israel in all those places.
17 Afterward, he returned to Ramah, for his house was there. And there he judged Israel. Also, he built an Altar there to the LORD.
8 When Samuel had now become old, he made his sons judges over Israel,
2 judges in Beersheba. The name of his eldest son was Joel and the name of the second was Abijah.
3 And his sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after unjust gain, and took bribes, and perverted their judgment.
4 Therefore, all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together and came to Samuel, to Ramah,
5 and said to him, “Behold, you are old. And your sons do not walk in your ways. Make us now a king to judge us, like all the nations.”
6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD.
7 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say to you. For they have not cast you away, but have cast Me away, so that I would not reign over them.
8 “As they have always done, since I brought them out of Egypt up until this day (forsaking Me and serving other gods), even so they do to you.
9 “Now, therefore, listen to their voice. However, still testify to them and show them the behavior of the king who shall reign over them.”
10 So, Samuel told all the Words of the LORD to the people who asked for a king from Him.
11 And he said, “This shall be the behavior of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen. And some shall run before his chariot.
12 “Also, he will make them his captains over thousands, and captains over fifties, and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make instruments of war, and the things that serve for his chariots.
13 “He will also take your daughters and make them apothecaries and cooks and bakers.
14 “And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your best olive trees and give them to his servants.
15 “And he will take a tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give it to his eunuchs and to his servants.
16 “And he will take your menservants and your maidservants and the chief of your young men and your donkeys and put them to work for him.
17 “He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you shall be his servants.
18 “And you shall cry out on that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves. And the LORD will not hear you on that day.”
19 But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but said, “No, but there shall be a king over us!
20 “And we, also, will be like all other nations; and our king shall judge us and go out before us and fight our battles!”
21 Therefore, when Samuel heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Ears of the LORD.
22 And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice; and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city!”
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