A   And all Israel spake of Samuel. And Israel wente forth to the battayll against the Philistynes, ∧ pitched besyde the. ^noteHelpe stone: As for the Philistynes, they pitched at Aphek, and prepared them selues agaynst Israel. And whan the battayll beganne, the hoost was deuyded, so that Israel was smytt&ebar; before the enemies, ∧ in the edge in the felde they slewe aboute a foure thousande men. And whan the people came in to the hoost, the Elders of Israel sayde: Wherfore hath the LORDE caused vs to be smytten this daie before the Philistynes? Let vs take vnto vs the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt

from Silo, ∧ let it come am&obar;ge vs, that it maye helpe vs from the hande of oure enemies. And the people sent vnto Silo, ∧ caused to fet th&ebar;ce the Arke of þe; couenaunt of the LORDE Zebaoth, that sytteth vpon the Cherubins. And with the Arke of the couenaunt of God there were the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas.

B   And whan the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE came in to the hoost, all Israel shouted &wt; a greate shoute, so that the earth sounded withall. But whan the Philistynes herde þe; noyse of þe; shoute, they sayde: what noyse is this of soch greate shoutinge in the tentes of the Hebrues? And whan they perceaued þt; the Arke of the LORDE was come in to the hoost, they were afrayed ∧ sayde: God is come in to the hoost. And they sayde morouer: Wo vnto vs, for it hath not bene thus afore tyme. Wo vnto vs. Who wil delyuer vs fr&obar; the hande of these hye goddes? These are the goddes that smote Egipte &wt; all maner of plages in the wyldernesse. Be stronge now and manly ye Philistynes, that ye serue not the Hebrues ^note as they haue serued you. Be manly and fighte.

C   Then foughte the Philistynes, ∧ Israel was smytten, ∧ euery one fled vnto his t&ebar;te, ∧ there was a very greate slaughter, so that there fell of Israel thirtye thousande fote m&ebar;, ∧ the Arke of God was tak&ebar;, ^note ∧ the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas dyed.

Then r&abar;ne there one of Ben Iamin out of the fore fronte of the battayl, ∧ came vnto Silo the same daye, ∧ had his clothes rente, and had earth vp&obar; his heade. And whan he came in, Heli sat vpon the seate, that he mighte loke towarde the waye: for his herte was fearfull aboute þe; Arke of God. And whan the man came in to the cite, he tolde it forth: and all the cite cried. And whan Eli herde þe; noyse of the cry&ebar;ge, he axed: What noyse of busynes is this? The man came haistely, and tolde Eli. (As for Eli, he was fourescore and eightene yeare olde, ^note and his eyes were dymme, so that he coulde not se.) The man sayde vnto Eli: I come and am fled this daye out of the hoost. He sayde: How is it my sonne?

D   Then answered the tydinge bringer, ∧ sayde: Israel is fled before the Philistynes, and a greate slaughter hath there bene amonge the people, ∧ thy two sonnes Ophni ∧ Phineas are deed, yee ∧ the Arke of God is tak&ebar; awaye. Whan he had made mencion of the Arke of God, he fell downe bacwarde from the seate by the gate, and brake his neck, and dyed: for he was olde, ∧ an heuy man. He iudged Israel fortie yeares. The wife of his sonne Phineas was &wt; childe, ∧ shulde shortly be delyuered, whan she herde the tydinges þt; the Arke of God was taken, and þt; hir brother in lawe and hir hu&esset;b&abar;de were deed, she bowed hir selfe and trauayled: for hir payne came vpon her. And whan she was now at the poynte of death, the wemen that stode by her, sayde: Feare not, thou hast a y&obar;ge sonne. But she gaue no answere, nether regarded it, and she called the childe Icabod, and sayde: The glory is gone from Israel, because the Arke of God was taken awaye, and hir brother in lawe and hir hu&esset;bande. And she sayde morouer: The glory is gone from Israel, for the Arke of God is tak&ebar; awaye

Previous section

Next section