1 Samuel 4:11–18

¹¹And the ark of God was taken; and ^athe two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

¹²Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with ^ahis clothes torn and ¹dust on his head.

¹³When he came, behold, ^aEli was sitting on his seat ¹by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God. So the man came to tell it in the city, and all the city cried out.

¹⁴When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the noise of this commotion mean?” Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli.

¹⁵Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and ^ahis eyes were set so that he could not see.

¹⁶The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today.” And he said, “^aHow did things go, my son?”

¹⁷Then the one who brought the news replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”

¹⁸When he mentioned the ark of God, ^1aEli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for ²he was old and heavy. Thus he judged Israel forty years.