約櫃被擄
1那時，以色列人去迎戰非利士人，他們在以便以謝紮營，非利士人在亞弗紮營。 2非利士人列陣與以色列人交戰，大敗以色列人，殺了他們四千人。 3軍隊回營後，以色列的長老說：「為什麼今天耶和華使我們敗在非利士人手下？我們從示羅把耶和華的約櫃抬來吧，讓它4·3 「它」或作「祂」。與我們同去，好從仇敵手中救我們。」
4於是，他們派人去示羅把那坐在基路伯天使上的萬軍之耶和華的約櫃抬來。以利的兩個兒子何弗尼和非尼哈也隨上帝的約櫃同來。 5以色列人看見耶和華的約櫃到了營中，就高聲歡呼，聲音震天動地。 6非利士人聽見了喊聲就說：「希伯來人在營中喊什麼？」後來他們知道是耶和華的約櫃到了營中， 7就害怕起來，說：「有神明到了他們營中，我們大禍臨頭了，我們從來沒有遇過這種事情！ 8我們大禍臨頭了！誰能從這些大能的神明手中救我們？在曠野用各種災禍毀滅埃及人的就是這些神明。 9非利士人啊，要剛強，做大丈夫。不然，我們就會成為希伯來人的奴隸，像他們做我們的奴隸一樣。我們要做大丈夫，奮力征戰。」
10非利士人和以色列人交戰，以色列人敗下陣來，紛紛逃回家中。他們傷亡慘重，損失了三萬步兵。 11上帝的約櫃被擄走了，以利的兩個兒子何弗尼和非尼哈被殺身亡。
以利之死
12當天有一個便雅憫人逃出了戰場，他撕爛衣服，頭蒙灰塵，來到示羅。 13以利正坐在路旁的座位上觀望，因為他心裡為上帝的約櫃擔憂。那個從戰場回來的人進城報信後，全城的人都放聲大哭。 14以利聽見哭喊聲，就問：「人們為何喊叫？」那人趕忙告訴他。 15那時，以利已經九十八歲，眼睛因為年老而失明。 16報信的人對以利說：「我今天是從戰場逃回來的。」以利問：「我的孩子，情況怎麼樣？」 17報信的答道：「以色列人被非利士人擊潰，傷亡慘重，你的兩個兒子何弗尼及非尼哈都死了，上帝的約櫃也被擄走了。」 18以利年老體胖，聽到約櫃被擄去，就從門邊的座位上向後跌倒，頸斷身亡。他做士師審理以色列人的事務共四十年。
19以利的兒媳婦、非尼哈的妻子當時懷孕在身，接近產期。她聽說上帝的約櫃被擄、公公和丈夫都死了，就突然陣痛，生下了孩子。 20在她彌留之際，身旁的婦人對她說：「不要怕，你生了一個男孩。」但她既不理會，也不回答。 21她給孩子取名叫以迦博，意思是：「榮耀離開以色列了」。這是因為上帝的約櫃被擄走，她的公公和丈夫都死了。 22她說：「榮耀離開了以色列，因為上帝的約櫃已經被擄走了。」
1And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.
The Philistines capture the ark
Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek. 2The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield. 3When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, ‘Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.’
4So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, ‘What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?’
When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, 7the Philistines were afraid. ‘A god has4:7 Or ‘Gods have (see Septuagint) come into the camp,’ they said. ‘Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. 8We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!’
10So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Death of Eli
12That same day a Benjaminite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. 13When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.
14Eli heard the outcry and asked, ‘What is the meaning of this uproar?’
The man hurried over to Eli, 15who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. 16He told Eli, ‘I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.’
Eli asked, ‘What happened, my son?’
17The man who brought the news replied, ‘Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.’
18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backwards off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led4:18 Traditionally judged Israel for forty years.
19His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labour and gave birth, but was overcome by her labour pains. 20As she was dying, the women attending her said, ‘Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.’ But she did not respond or pay any attention.
21She named the boy Ichabod,4:21 Ichabod means no glory. saying, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel’ – because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22She said, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.’
