1Sa 4, 1Sa 19 | ESV | STEP | And the word of Samuel came to all Israel . Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines . They encamped at Ebenezer , and the Philistines encamped at Aphek .

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at ^aEbenezer, and the Philistines encamped at ^bAphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. 3 And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here ^cfrom Shiloh, that it ^{▼▼Or he} may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, ^ewho is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel ^fgave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, 7 the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. 9 ^gTake courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews ^has they have been to you; be men and fight.”

10 So the Philistines fought, ⁱand Israel was defeated, ^jand they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 ^kAnd the ark of God was captured, ^land the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

The Death of Eli

12 A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, ^mwith his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 13 When he arrived, ⁿEli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told the news, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old ^oand his eyes were set so that he could not see. 16 And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, ^p“How did it go, my son?” 17 He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.” 18 As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward ^qfrom his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, ^r“Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the child ^sIchabod, saying, ^t“The glory has departed ^{▼▼Or gone into exile; also verse 22} from Israel!” because ^vthe ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, ^wfor the ark of God has been captured.”

1 Samuel 19

Saul Tries to Kill David

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. ^xBut Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king ^ysin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For ^zhe took his life in his hand ^aaand he struck down the Philistine, ^aband the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against ^acinnocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, ^ad“As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence ^aeas before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 ^afThen a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. ^agAnd David was playing the lyre. 10 ^ahAnd Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 ^aiSaul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 ^ajSo Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took ^akan image ^{▼▼Or a household god} and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, ^amthe image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. ^anWhy should I kill you?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at ^aoRamah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, ^apthe Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, ^aqand they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, ^arand they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, ^asand they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in ^atRamah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. ^auAnd the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 ^avAnd he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, ^aw“Is Saul also among the prophets?”