1Sa 4:3-12 | ESV | STEP | 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 from Shiloh , that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies .

1 Samuel 4:3-12

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 ^afrom 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, ^cwho 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 ^dgave 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 ^eTake courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews ^fas they have been to you; be men and fight.”

10 So the Philistines fought, ^gand Israel was defeated, ^hand they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 ⁱAnd the ark of God was captured, ^jand 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, ^kwith his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.