1 Samuel 4
Smith's Literal Translation Par ▾ 

The Philistines Capture the Ark

1And the word of Samuel will be to all Israel. And Israel will go forth to the meeting of Philisteim for war, and they will encamp upon the Stone of Help: and Philisteim encamped in Aphek. 2And Philisteim will set in array to meet Israel: and the battle will smite, and Israel will be smitten before Philisteim: and they will strike the array in the field, about four thousand men. 3And the people will come to the camp, and the old men of Israel will, say, Wherefore did Jehovah smite us this day before Philisteim? We will take to us from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and it shall come into the midst of us and save us from the hand of our enemies. 4And the people will send to Shiloh, and they will lift up from thence the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of armies, sitting upon the Cherubims: and there the two sons of Eli with the ark of the covenant of God, Hophni and Phinehas.

5And it will be when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came to the camp, and all Israel will shout with great shouts, and the earth will be put in motion. 6And Philisteim will hear the voice of the shout, and they will say, What the voice of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? and they knew that the ark of Jehovah came into the camp. 7And the Philisteim will be afraid, for they said, God came into the camp. And they will say, Wo to us! for at was not as this yesterday, the third day. 8Wo to us! who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? these those gods smiting Egypt with every blow in the desert. 9Be strong, and be for men, Philisteim, lest ye shall serve to the Hebrews as they served to you: and be for men and fight.

10And Philisteim will fight and smite Israel, and they will flee, a man to his tent: and the blow will be very great, and there will fall from Israel thirty thousand footmen. 11And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli were slain, Hophni and Phinehas.

The Death of Eli

12And a man of Benjamin will run from the array, and he will come to Shiloh in that day; and his garments rent and earth upon his head. 13And he will come, and behold, Eli sitting upon a seat of the side of the way, looking about: for his heart was trembling for the ark of God. And the man came to announce in the city, and all the city will cry out. 14And Eli will hear the voice of the cry, and will say, What the voice of this noise? And the man hastened, and he will go in and announce to Eli. 15And Eli the son of ninety and eight years; and his eyes standing, and he will not be able to see. 16And the man will say to Eli, I came from the array, and I fled from the array this day; And he will say, What was the word, my son? 17And he bearing tidings will answer and say, Israel fled before Philisteim, and also a great slaughter was among the people, and also thy two sons died, Hophni and Phinehas; and the ark of God was taken. 18And it will be when he made mention of the ark of God, and he will fall from off the seat backwards by the side of the gate, and his neck will break, and he will die: for he was an old Man and heavy. And he judged Israel forty years.

19And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, conceived to bring forth: and she will hear the message of the taking of the ark of God, and the death of her father-in-law and her husband, and she will bow and bring forth, for her pains turned upon her. 20And about the time of her death, and they standing by will speak to her, Thou shalt not be afraid, for thou broughtest forth a son. And she answered not, and set not her heart. 21And she will call the boy, Where the Glory? saying, The glory uncovered from Israel: (for the taking of the ark of God, and for her father-in-law, and her husband.) 22And she will say, The glory uncovered from Israel, for the ark of God was taken.


The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally From The Original Tongues by Julia E. Smith

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

1 Samuel 3
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