⁶ So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.”^(A)

⁷ And he ordered the army, “Advance^(A)! March around the city, with an armed guard going ahead of the ark^(B) of the Lord.”

¹³ The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets went forward, marching before the ark of the Lord and blowing the trumpets. The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding.

⁴ So 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.^(A) And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵ When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout^(B) that the ground shook. ⁶ Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew^(C) camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp, ⁷ the Philistines were afraid.^(D) “A god has^[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. ⁸ We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck^(E) the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues^(F) in the wilderness. ⁹ Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they^(G) have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

¹⁰ So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated^(H) and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.^(I)