1 Samuel 4:12-22

Expanded Bible

¹² That same day a man ·from the tribe of [^Lof] Benjamin ran from the battle. He tore his clothes and put dust on his head [^Cto indicate mourning]. ¹³ When he arrived in Shiloh [1:3], Eli was by the side of the road. He was sitting there in a chair, watching [^Leagerly; anxiously], because ·he was worried about [^Lhis heart trembled/feared for] the Ark of God. When the Benjaminite entered Shiloh [1:3], he told ·the bad news [what had happened]. Then all the ·people in town [city; towns] cried loudly. ¹⁴ Eli heard the crying and asked, “What’s all this ·noise [commotion]?”

The Benjaminite ran to Eli and told him what had happened. ¹⁵ Eli was now ninety-eight years old, and ·he was blind [^Lhis gaze was fixed, so he could not see] . ¹⁶ The Benjaminite told him, “I have come from the battle. I ·ran all the way here [escaped/fled from the battle line] today.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

¹⁷ The ·Benjaminite [^Lmessenger] answered, “Israel ·ran away [fled] from the Philistines, and the ·Israelite army has lost many soldiers [people/troops have been slaughtered]. Your two sons are both dead, and the Philistines have ·taken [captured] the Ark of God.”

¹⁸ When he mentioned the Ark of God [4:3], Eli fell backward off his chair. He fell beside the gate, broke his neck, and died, because he was old and ·fat [heavy]. He had ·led [judged; been judge of] Israel for forty years.

The Glory Is Gone

¹⁹ Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and was about to give birth. When she heard the news that the Ark of God had been taken and that Eli, her father-in-law, and Phinehas, her husband, were both dead, she ·began to give [went into labor/crouched down and gave] birth to her child. The child was born, but ·the mother had much trouble in giving birth [her labor pains overwhelmed her]. ²⁰ As she was dying, the women who helped her said, “Don’t ·worry [be afraid]! You’ve given birth to a son!” But she did not answer or pay attention. ²¹ She named the baby Ichabod [^Cmeaning “No Glory”], saying, “Israel’s glory ·is gone [has departed].” She said this because the Ark of God had been ·taken [captured] and her father-in-law and husband were dead. ²² She said, “Israel’s glory is ·gone [departed], because the Ark of God has been ·taken away [captured].”