1 Then|strong="H1961" Samuel|strong="H8050" would|strong="H3478" announce the|strong="H3605" LORD’S message|strong="H1697" to|strong="H1961" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" people of|strong="H1697" Israel|strong="H3478". When|strong="H1961" Eli was|strong="H1961" very old, his|strong="H3605" sons lived|strong="H1961" more|strong="H5921" and|strong="H3478" more|strong="H5921" in|strong="H5921" a|strong="H1961" way|strong="H1697" the|strong="H3605" LORD considered|strong="H1961" evil.
2 The|strong="H6440" Philistines|strong="H6430" lined up|strong="H6186" their|strong="H6440" soldiers|strong="H0376" in|strong="H3478" front|strong="H6440" of|strong="H0376" the|strong="H6440" Israelites|strong="H3478" and|strong="H3478" began the|strong="H6440" attack|strong="H5221".
3 The|strong="H0853" rest of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0853" Israelite|strong="H3478" soldiers|strong="H5971" went|strong="H0935" back|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" their|strong="H3068" camp|strong="H4264". The|strong="H0853" elders|strong="H2205" of|strong="H3068" Israel|strong="H3478" asked|strong="H0559", “Why|strong="H4100" did|strong="H4100" the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" let the|strong="H0853" Philistines|strong="H6430" defeat us|strong="H0413"? Let’s bring|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Box of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H0853" Agreement|strong="H1285" from|strong="H0935" Shiloh|strong="H7887". God|strong="H3068" will|strong="H3068" go|strong="H0935" with|strong="H0413" us|strong="H0413" into|strong="H0413" battle|strong="H3117" and|strong="H0935" save|strong="H3467" us|strong="H0413" from|strong="H0935" our|strong="H3068" enemies|strong="H0341".”
4 So|strong="H7971" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H5971" sent|strong="H7971" men|strong="H1121" to|strong="H3068" Shiloh|strong="H7887". The|strong="H0853" men|strong="H1121" brought|strong="H5375" back the|strong="H0853" LORD|strong="H3068" All-Powerful’s Box of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0853" Agreement|strong="H1285". On|strong="H3427" top of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0853" Box are|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0853" Cherub|strong="H3742" angels. They|strong="H8033" are|strong="H1121" like|strong="H5973" a|strong="H5375" throne where|strong="H8033" the|strong="H0853" Lord|strong="H3068" sits|strong="H3427". Eli’s|strong="H5941" two|strong="H8147" sons|strong="H1121", Hophni|strong="H2652" and|strong="H1121" Phinehas|strong="H6372", came with|strong="H5973" the|strong="H0853" Box.
5 When|strong="H1961" the|strong="H3605" LORD’S|strong="H3068" Box of|strong="H0776" the|strong="H3605" Agreement|strong="H1285" came|strong="H0935" into|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" camp|strong="H4264", all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Israelites|strong="H3478" gave|strong="H7321" a|strong="H1961" great|strong="H1419" shout|strong="H7321" loud|strong="H1419" enough to|strong="H0413" make the|strong="H3605" ground|strong="H0776" shake.
6 The|strong="H0853" Philistines|strong="H6430" heard|strong="H8085" Israel’s shout|strong="H8643" and|strong="H0935" asked|strong="H0559", “Why|strong="H4100" are|strong="H4100" the|strong="H0853" people|strong="H8085" so|strong="H0935" excited in|strong="H0935" the|strong="H0853" Hebrew|strong="H5680" camp|strong="H4264"?”
7 They|strong="H3588" became|strong="H1961" afraid|strong="H3372" and|strong="H0935" said|strong="H0559", “Gods|strong="H0430" have|strong="H1961" come|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" their|strong="H3588" camp|strong="H4264"! We’re in|strong="H0935" trouble. This|strong="H2063" has|strong="H0430" never|strong="H3808" happened|strong="H1961" before|strong="H0413".
8 We|strong="H3605" are|strong="H1992" worried. Who|strong="H4310" can|strong="H4310" save|strong="H5337" us|strong="H5337" from|strong="H3027" these|strong="H0428" powerful|strong="H0117" gods|strong="H0430"? These|strong="H0428" gods|strong="H0430" are|strong="H1992" the|strong="H3605" same|strong="H0428" ones|strong="H0117" that|strong="H3605" gave the|strong="H3605" Egyptians|strong="H4714" those|strong="H0428" diseases and|strong="H0430" terrible sicknesses.
9 Be|strong="H1961" brave, Philistines|strong="H6430". Fight|strong="H3898" like|strong="H1961" men|strong="H0376". In|strong="H0376" the|strong="H0834" past they|strong="H0834" were|strong="H0834" our|strong="H1961" slaves|strong="H5647", so|strong="H6435" fight|strong="H3898" like|strong="H1961" men|strong="H0376" or|strong="H6435" you|strong="H0834" will|strong="H1961" become|strong="H1961" their|strong="H1961" slaves|strong="H5647".”
10 So|strong="H1961" the|strong="H1961" Philistines|strong="H6430" fought|strong="H3898" very|strong="H3966" hard|strong="H1419" and|strong="H3478" defeated|strong="H5062" the|strong="H1961" Israelites|strong="H3478". The|strong="H1961" Israelite|strong="H3478" soldiers|strong="H0376" ran|strong="H5127" away|strong="H5307" and|strong="H3478" went|strong="H0376" home|strong="H0168". It|strong="H1961" was|strong="H1961" a|strong="H1961" terrible defeat for|strong="H0376" Israel|strong="H3478". 30,000 Israelite|strong="H3478" soldiers|strong="H0376" were|strong="H1961" killed|strong="H5307".
11 The|strong="H3947" Philistines took|strong="H3947" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box and|strong="H1121" killed|strong="H4191" Eli’s|strong="H5941" two|strong="H8147" sons|strong="H1121", Hophni|strong="H2652" and|strong="H1121" Phinehas|strong="H6372".
12 One|strong="H0376" of|strong="H0376" the|strong="H5921" men|strong="H0376" who|strong="H0376" ran|strong="H7323" from|strong="H0935" the|strong="H5921" battle|strong="H4634" was|strong="H1931" a|strong="H0935" man|strong="H0376" from|strong="H0935" the|strong="H5921" tribe of|strong="H0376" Benjamin|strong="H1144". He|strong="H1931" tore|strong="H7167" his|strong="H5921" clothes|strong="H4055" and|strong="H0935" put|strong="H0935" dust|strong="H0127" on|strong="H5921" his|strong="H5921" head|strong="H7218" to|strong="H0935" show his|strong="H5921" great sadness.
13 Eli|strong="H5941" was|strong="H1961" worried about|strong="H1961" the|strong="H3605" Holy Box, so|strong="H1961" he|strong="H3588" was|strong="H1961" sitting|strong="H3427" there|strong="H2009" by|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" city|strong="H5892" gate waiting and|strong="H0935" watching|strong="H6822" when|strong="H3588" the|strong="H3605" Benjamite man|strong="H0376" came|strong="H0935" into|strong="H0935" Shiloh and|strong="H0935" told|strong="H5046" the|strong="H3605" bad news. All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H0376" in|strong="H3427" town|strong="H5892" began|strong="H1961" to|strong="H0935" cry|strong="H2199" loudly.
16 He|strong="H3117" said|strong="H0559", “I|strong="H0589" am|strong="H0589" the|strong="H0559" man|strong="H0376" who|strong="H0376" just|strong="H1697" came|strong="H0935" from|strong="H4480" the|strong="H0559" battle|strong="H4634". I|strong="H0589" ran|strong="H5127" away|strong="H4480" from|strong="H4480" the|strong="H0559" battle|strong="H4634" today|strong="H3117".”
17 The|strong="H0559" Benjamite man|strong="H1121" answered|strong="H0559", “Israel|strong="H3478" ran|strong="H5127" away|strong="H3947" from|strong="H6440" the|strong="H0559" Philistines|strong="H6430". The|strong="H0559" Israelite|strong="H3478" army|strong="H5971" has|strong="H0430" lost many|strong="H1419" soldiers|strong="H5971". Your|strong="H3947" two|strong="H8147" sons|strong="H1121" are|strong="H3478" both|strong="H8147" dead|strong="H4191", and|strong="H1121" the|strong="H0559" Philistines|strong="H6430" took|strong="H3947" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box.”
18 When|strong="H3588" the|strong="H0853" Benjamite man|strong="H0376" mentioned|strong="H2142" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box, Eli|strong="H5307" fell|strong="H5307" backward|strong="H0322" off|strong="H5921" his|strong="H5921" chair|strong="H3678" near|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0853" gate|strong="H8179" and|strong="H3478" broke|strong="H7665" his|strong="H5921" neck|strong="H4665". Eli|strong="H5307" was|strong="H1961" old|strong="H2204" and|strong="H3478" fat, so|strong="H1961" he|strong="H1931" died|strong="H4191". He|strong="H1931" had|strong="H1961" led|strong="H8199" Israel|strong="H3478" for|strong="H3588" 20 years|strong="H8141".
19 Eli’s daughter-in-law|strong="H3618", the|strong="H0853" wife|strong="H0802" of|strong="H0376" Phinehas|strong="H6372", was|strong="H0430" pregnant|strong="H2030". It|strong="H5921" was|strong="H0430" nearly time for|strong="H3588" her|strong="H0413" baby to|strong="H0413" be|strong="H4191" born|strong="H3205". She|strong="H3588" heard|strong="H8085" the|strong="H0853" news|strong="H8052" that|strong="H3588" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box was|strong="H0430" taken|strong="H3947". She|strong="H3588" also|strong="H0853" heard|strong="H8085" that|strong="H3588" her|strong="H0413" father-in-law|strong="H2524" Eli and|strong="H0430" her|strong="H0413" husband|strong="H0376" Phinehas|strong="H6372" were|strong="H0376" both|strong="H4191" dead|strong="H4191". As|strong="H0376" soon|strong="H3205" as|strong="H0376" she|strong="H3588" heard|strong="H8085" the|strong="H0853" news|strong="H8052", her|strong="H0413" pain started and|strong="H0430" she|strong="H3588" began giving|strong="H3205" birth|strong="H3205" to|strong="H0413" her|strong="H0413" baby.
20 She|strong="H3588" was|strong="H3820" about|strong="H5921" to|strong="H1696" die|strong="H4191" when|strong="H3588" the|strong="H5921" women who|strong="H1121" were|strong="H1121" helping her|strong="H5921" said|strong="H1696", “Don’t|strong="H0408" worry|strong="H3372", you|strong="H3588" have|strong="H1121" given|strong="H3205" birth|strong="H3205" to|strong="H1696" a|strong="H3588" son|strong="H1121".”
21 She|strong="H7121" named|strong="H7121" the|strong="H0559" baby Ichabod|strong="H0350", that|strong="H7121" is|strong="H0430" to|strong="H0413" say|strong="H0559", “Israel’s|strong="H3478" glory|strong="H3519" has|strong="H0430" been taken|strong="H3947" away|strong="H1540".” She|strong="H7121" did|strong="H0376" this|strong="H0376" because|strong="H0413" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box was|strong="H3478" taken|strong="H3947" away|strong="H1540" and|strong="H3478" because|strong="H0413" both her|strong="H0413" father-in-law|strong="H2524" and|strong="H3478" her|strong="H0413" husband|strong="H0376" were|strong="H3478" dead.
22 She|strong="H3588" said|strong="H0559", “Israel’s|strong="H3478" glory|strong="H3519" has|strong="H0430" been taken|strong="H3947" away|strong="H1540"” because|strong="H3588" the|strong="H0559" Philistines had|strong="H0430" taken|strong="H3947" God’s|strong="H0430" Holy Box.