Eli

1Samuel's words came to all the people of Israel. Israel went out to fight the Philistines. Israel set up camp at a place called Ebenezer. The Philistines set up camp at Aphek.

And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

NoteSamuel was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. The Philistines lived near Israel and often fought them. Ebenezer and Aphek were two places close together, where each army camped.

2The Philistines lined up to fight Israel. When the fighting started, Israel lost. About four thousand of Israel's men were killed in the field.

And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3The soldiers went back to their camp. The leaders of Israel asked, "Why has the LORD defeated us today in front of the Philistines? Let's bring the ark of the covenant here from Shiloh. Then it will be with us, and it will save us from our enemies."

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

NoteThe LORD in big letters is God's own special name. The ark of the covenant was a wooden box covered with gold. Inside it were the flat stones with God's rules on them. A covenant is a strong promise. God had promised to be Israel's God. The people kept the ark in God's tent, and they felt God was close to it. The elders were the older men who led the people.

4So the people sent men to Shiloh. They brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who sits above the golden cherubim, winged figures on the ark's lid. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the ark of God.

So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

NoteShiloh was the town where God's special tent stood. Eli was the priest there, the man who led people in worship. His sons Hophni and Phinehas were priests too. "The LORD of hosts" means the Lord who leads great armies. Cherubim were gold figures with wings, made on the lid of the ark.

5The ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp. All Israel shouted so loudly that the ground shook.

And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

6The Philistines heard the shouting. They asked, "Why is there such loud shouting in the Hebrew camp?" Then they found out that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

NoteHebrews was another name for the people of Israel.

7The Philistines were afraid. They said, "God has come into their camp! This is bad for us. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8"This is bad for us! Who will save us from these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of trouble in the desert."

Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

NoteLong before this, Israel had been slaves in Egypt, far away. God sent many troubles on Egypt until Israel was set free. The Philistines had heard those old stories.

9"Be strong, Philistines! Be brave men! If you don't, you will become slaves to the Hebrews, like they were to you. Be brave men and fight!"

Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

NoteThe Philistines had once been beaten by Israel and made to serve them. Now they were afraid it would happen again.

10So the Philistines fought, and Israel lost again. Every soldier ran home to his tent. Very many died. Thirty thousand of Israel's foot soldiers were killed.

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

NoteFoot soldiers were men who fought walking, not riding horses or chariots.

11The ark of God was taken away by the enemy. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battle. He reached Shiloh that same day. His clothes were torn and there was dirt on his head. This showed everyone he was full of sadness.

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. Benjamin was one of them. When people were very sad, they tore their clothes and put dirt on their heads. Everyone who saw them knew bad news had come.

13When he got there, Eli was sitting on his chair by the road, watching. Eli was worried about the ark of God. The man went into the town and told the news. Then the whole town cried out loud.

And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

NoteEli sat by the road so he could hear news as soon as it came.

14Eli heard all the crying. He asked, "Why is everyone making so much noise?" The man hurried over and told Eli the news.

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

15Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes did not work anymore, and he could not see.

Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.

16The man said to Eli, "I came from the battle. I ran away from there today." Eli asked, "What happened, my son?"

And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?

17The messenger answered, "Israel ran away from the Philistines. Very many of our people were killed. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead. And the ark of God has been taken away."

And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18As soon as the man said "the ark of God," Eli fell backward off his chair by the gate. He was old and heavy, so his neck broke and he died. Eli had been Israel's judge, their leader, for forty years.

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

NoteThe gate was the doorway in the town wall. People met and talked there, like a town square. A judge in those days was a leader for the whole country. He settled arguments and led the people in hard times.

19Eli's son's wife, the wife of Phinehas, was going to have a baby very soon. She heard that the ark of God was taken. She heard that her husband and his father were dead. Then she bent down and had her baby, because the pains came.

And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

NoteIn those days women helped each other when a baby was born. They stayed close and spoke kind words.

20She was dying. The women helping her said, "Don't be afraid. You have a son!" But she did not answer them. She paid no attention.

And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

21She named the baby Ichabod. She said, "The glory is gone from Israel." She said this because the ark of God was taken. She also said it because her husband and his father were dead.

And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

NoteThe name Ichabod means "the glory is gone." Glory means God's bright greatness being with his people. The mother chose the name because the ark had been taken away.

22She said, "The glory is gone from Israel. The ark of God has been taken away."

And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

26The king said to Abiathar the priest, "Go home to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die. But I will not kill you now. You carried the ark, God's holy chest, for my father David. You went through every hard time he went through."

And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

NoteThe ark was a special chest covered in gold. God's rules were kept inside it. Priests carried it on long poles. Anathoth was a small town near Jerusalem.

27So Solomon took away Abiathar's job as priest for the LORD. This happened just as the LORD had said at Shiloh about the family of Eli.

So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

NoteLong ago, God said that Eli's family would lose the priest job. Eli had been a priest in a town called Shiloh.