The Philistines Capture the Ark

1And Samuel spake vnto all Israel: And Israel went out against the Philistines to battell, and pitched besyde the Eben ezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphec, 2And put them selues in aray against Israel: and when they ioyned the battell, Israel was smytten downe before the Philistines, and the Philistines slue of the armie in the fielde about a foure thousand men. 3And when the people were come into their tentes, the elders of Israel sayde: Wherfore hath the Lorde caste vs downe this day before the Philistines? let vs fetch the arke of the appoyntmet of the Lorde out of Silo vnto vs, that when it cometh among vs, it may saue vs out of the hand of our enemies. 4And so the people went to Silo, and fet from thence the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde of hoastes, which dwelleth betweene the cherubims: And there wer the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehes, with the arke of the appoyntment of God.

5And when the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde came into the hoast, all Israel showted a mightie showte, so that the earth rang againe. 6And when the Philistines heard the noyse of the showte, they saide: What meaneth the sounde of this mightie showte in the hoast of the Ebrues? And they vnderstode howe that the arke of the Lorde was come into the hoast. 7And the Philistines were afraide, and saide: God is come into the hoast. And they said againe: Wo vnto vs, for it was neuer so before this. 8Wo vnto vs, who shall deliuer vs out of the hand of these mightie goddes? these are the goddes that smote the Egyptians with many plagues in the wildernes. 9Be strong and quite your selues lyke men, O ye Philistines, that ye be no seruaunts vnto the Ebrues, as they haue ben to you: Be of a manly corage therfore and fight.

10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten downe, and fled euery man into his tent: And there was an exceeding great slaughter, for there were ouerthrowen of Israel thirtie thousand footemen. 11And the arke of God was taken, and the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni & Phinehes, were dead.

The Death of Eli

12And there ran a man of Beniamin out of the armie, and came to Silo the same day with his clothes rent, and earth vpon his head. 13And when he came, lo, Eli sat vpon a stoole by the way side, wayting: for his heart feared for the arke of God. And when the man came into the citie, and tolde it, all the citie cryed. 14And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he saide: What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? And the man came in hastyly, and tolde Eli. 15Eli was 98 yeres olde, & his sight failed, him that he could not see. 16And the man said vnto Eli: I am he that came out of the armie, & fled this day out of the hoast. And he said: What thing is done my sonne? 17The messenger aunswered, and said: Israel is fled before the Philistines, & there hath ben a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sonnes Hophni and Phinehes are dead, and the arke of God is taken. 18And when he made mention of the arke of God, Eli fell from of his stoole backward by the side of the gate, and his necke brake, and he dyed: For he was an olde man and heauy, and iudged Israel fourtie yeres?

19And his daughter in lawe Phinehes wyfe was with childe, and nye the birth: And when she heard the tidinges that the arke of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed her selfe, and trauayled, for her paynes came vpon her. 20And about the tyme of her death, the women that stoode about her, saide vnto her: Feare not, for thou hast borne a sonne. But she aunswered not, nor regarded it. 21And she named the childe Ichabod, saying: The glorie is departed fro Israel, (because the arke of God was taken, and because of her father in lawe and her husband.) 22And she saide againe: The glorie is gone from Israel, for the arke of God is taken.