4. So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, Who dwells above the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were 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 with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.
6. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean? When they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,
7. The Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! For such a thing has not happened before.
8. Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that smote the Egyptians with every kind of plague in the wilderness.
9. Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not become servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you; behave yourselves like men, and fight!
10. And the Philistines fought; Israel was smitten and they fled every man to his own home. There was a very great slaughter; for 30,000 foot soldiers of Israel fell.
11. And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. [Foretold in I Sam. 2:34.]
12. Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh that day, with his clothes torn and earth on his head.
13. When he arrived, Eli was sitting by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man told the news in the city, all the city [people] cried out.
14. When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is this uproar? And the man came hastily and told Eli.
15. Now Eli was 98 years old; his eyes were dim so that he could not see.
16. The man said to Eli, I have come from the battle; I fled from the battle today. Eli said, How did it go, my son?
17. The messenger replied, Israel fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is captured.
18. And when he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.