1. Thus the word of Shemu’ĕl was to all Yisra’ĕl. And Yisra’ĕl went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Eḇen Ha‛ĕzer, while the Philistines encamped in Aphĕq.
2. And the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Yisra’ĕl. And when the battle spread, Yisra’ĕl was smitten by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.
3. And when the people came into the camp, the elders of Yisra’ĕl said, “Why has יהוה smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of יהוה from Shiloh to us, so that He comes into our midst and save us from the hand of our enemies.”
4. And the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of יהוה of hosts, dwelling between the keruḇim. And the two sons of Ěli, Ḥophni and Pineḥas, were there with the ark of the covenant of Elohim.
5. And when the ark of the covenant of יהוה came into the camp, all Yisra’ĕl shouted so loudly that the earth shook.
6. And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Heḇrews?” And when they knew that the ark of יהוה had come into the camp,
7. the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “Elohim has come into the camp!” And they said, “Woe to us! For it has never been like this before.
8. “Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty Elohim? These are the Elohim who smote the Mitsrites with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9. “Be strong and be men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Heḇrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”