6. When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, “What does this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp.
7. The Philistines were afraid, when they said, “God is come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For this has never happened to us before.
8. Woe to us! Who will deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.
9. Be strong and be men, O Philistines, lest you be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Now be men and fight.”
10. So the Philistines fought and Israel was beaten. And they fled every man into his tent. It was a very great defeat, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11. Now the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12. There ran a man of Benjamin from the battle line, and he came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes torn and with dust upon his head.
13. When he came, Eli was sitting on a seat by the wayside watching. For his heart feared for the ark of God. Now the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.
14. When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” And the man hurriedly came and told Eli.
15. Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see.
16. The man said to Eli, “I am he that came out of the army, and I fled today out of the battle line.”And he said, “What is the word, my son?”
17. The messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there also has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead. And the ark of God is taken.”