Phinehas

27A man of God came to Eli. He was a prophet, someone who tells people what God says. He said, "The LORD says this: Long ago your family lived in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house. I showed myself to them plainly there."

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?

NotePharaoh was the name for the king of Egypt. Long before this, the people of Israel lived in Egypt as slaves.

28"Out of all the families of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. They bring gifts to my altar. They burn sweet smoke and wear the ephod when they stand before me. I gave your family all the offerings Israel burns for me."

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

NoteAn altar was a stone table where gifts to God were burned. Burning sweet smoke means burning special spices that smelled good. Israel was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. One tribe, Eli's, did the priest work. Priests got a share of the food people brought. That was how they and their families ate.

29"So why do you push away the gifts and offerings I asked for at my house? You care more about your sons than about me. You grow fat on the best parts of my people's gifts."

Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

NoteThe old words say "kick ye at my sacrifice." It is a picture of kicking a gift away like trash. "Grow fat" means they kept the best food for themselves.

30"So the LORD, the God of Israel, says this: I did say that your family would serve me always. But now the LORD says: That will not happen. I will honor those who honor me. Those who treat me as nothing will count for nothing."

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

NoteWhen the old words say "thy house," they mean your whole family. That includes children and grandchildren, on and on.

31"Listen. The days are coming when I will take away your strength. I will take the strength of your father's family too. No man in your family will live to be old."

Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

NoteThe old words say "I will cut off thine arm." An arm was a picture of strength. Back then, living to be old was seen as a great gift.

32"You will see trouble at my house. Good things will come to Israel, but no man in your family will ever grow old."

And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

33"One man from your family will still serve at my altar. But he will bring tears to your eyes and pain to your heart. Everyone born in your family will die while still young."

And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

NoteThe old words say they will die "in the flower of their age." That means dying while still young and strong.

34"Here is the sign that this is true. It will happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. Both of them will die on the same day."

And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

NoteA sign is something that happens to show a promise is true.

35"Then I will choose a faithful priest for myself. He will do what is in my heart and mind. I will give him a family that lasts. He will always serve the king I choose."

And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36"Everyone left in your family will come and bow low to him. They will beg for a small piece of silver and a bit of bread. They will say, 'Please give me some job with the priests, so I can eat.'"

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

NoteThere were no coins yet. People paid with small pieces of silver that were weighed. Bowing low was how people showed great respect.

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.