CLV(i)
1 And the word of Samuel is to all Israel, and Israel goes out to meet the Philistines for battle, and they encamp by Eben-Ezer, and the Philistines have encamped in Aphek,
2 and the Philistines set themselves in array to meet Israel, and the battle spreads itself, and Israel is smitten before the Philistines, and they smite among the ranks in the field about four thousand men.
3 And the people comes in unto the camp, and the elders of Israel say, `Why has Yahweh smitten us to-day before the Philistines? we take unto us from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and it comes into our midst, and He does save us out of the hand of our enemies..
4 And the people sends to Shiloh, and they take up thence the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Hosts, inhabiting the cherubs, and there [are] two sons of Eli, with the ark of the covenant of Elohim, Hophni and Phinehas.
5 And it comes to pass, at the coming in of the ark of the covenant of Yahweh unto the camp, that all Israel shout--a great shout--and the earth is moved.
6 And the Philistines hear the noise of the shouting, and say, `What [is] the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?' and they perceive that the ark of Yahweh has come in unto the camp.
7 And the Philistines are afraid, for they said, `Elohim has come in unto the camp;' and they say, `Woe to us, for there has not been like this heretofore.
8 Woe to us, who does deliver us out of the hand of these honorable elohims? these [are] the elohims who are smiting the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.
9 Strengthen yourselves, and become men, O Philistines, lest you do service to Hebrews, as they have done to you--then you have become men, and have fought..
10 And the Philistines fight, and Israel is smitten, and they flee each to his tents, and the blow is very great, and there fall of Israel thirty thousand footmen;"
11 and the ark of Elohim has been taken, and the two sons of Eli have died, Hophni and Phinehas.
12 And a man of Benjamin runs out of the ranks, and comes into Shiloh, on that day, and his long robes [are] rent, and earth on his head;"
13 and he comes in, and lo, Eli is sitting on the throne by the side of the way, watching, for his heart has been trembling for the ark of Elohim, and the man has come in to declare [it] in the city, and all the city cries out.
14 And Eli hears the noise of the cry, and said, `What--the noise of this tumult!' And the man hasted, and comes in, and declares to Eli.
15 And Eli is a son of ninety and eight years, and his eyes have stood, and he has not been able to see.
16 And the man said unto Eli, `I [am] he who has come out of the ranks, and I out of the ranks have fled to-day;' and he said, `What has been the matter, my son?.
17 And he who is bearing tidings answers and said, `Israel has fled before the Philistines, and also a great slaughter has been among the people, and also your two sons have died--Hophni and Phinehas--and the ark of Elohim has been captured..
18 And it comes to pass, at his mentioning the ark of Elohim, that he falls from off the throne backward, by the side of the gate, and his neck is broken, and he dies, for the man [is] old and heavy, and he has judged Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, [is] pregnant, about to bear, and she hears the report of the taking of the ark of Elohim, that her father-in-law and her husband have died, and she bows, and bears, for her pains have turned upon her.
20 And at the time of her death, when the women who are standing by her say, `Fear not, for a son you have borne,' she has not answered, nor set her heart [to it];"
21 and she calls the youth I-Chabod, saying, `Honor has removed from Israel,' because of the taking of the ark of Elohim, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 And she said, `Honor has removed from Israel, for the ark of Elohim has been taken..