God

ADONAI called, "Sh'mu'el!" again, a third time. He got up, went to 'Eli and said, "Here I am - you called me." At last 'Eli realized it was ADONAI calling the child.

So 'Eli said to Sh'mu'el, "Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, 'Speak, ADONAI; your servant is listening.' Sh'mu'el went and lay down in his place.

ADONAI came and stood, then spoke as at the other times: "Sh'mu'el! Sh'mu'el!"Then Sh'mu'el said, "Speak; your servant is listening."

ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "Look! I am going to do something in Isra'el that will make both ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.

On that day I will do against 'Eli everything I have said with regard to his family, from beginning to end.

For I have told him that I will execute judgment against his family forever, because of his wickedness in not rebuking his sons, even though he knew that they had brought a curse on themselves.

Therefore I have sworn to the family of 'Eli that the wickedness of 'Eli's family will never be atoned for by any sacrifice or offering."

Sh'mu'el lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of ADONAI. But Sh'mu'el was afraid to tell 'Eli the vision.

'Eli said, "What did he say to you? Please, don't hide it from me; may God do to you whatever he said and worse, if you hide from me anything he said to you."

So Sh'mu'el told him every word and hid nothing. 'Eli replied, "It is ADONAI; let him do what seems good to him."

Sh'mu'el kept growing, ADONAI was with him, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.

All Isra'el from Dan to Be'er-Sheva became aware that Sh'mu'el had been confirmed as a prophet of ADONAI.

ADONAI continued appearing in Shiloh, for ADONAI revealed himself to Sh'mu'el in Shiloh by the word of ADONAI.

When the army had returned to camp, the leaders of Isra'el asked, "Why has ADONAI defeated us today before the P'lishtim? Let's bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI from Shiloh to us, so that he will come among us and save us from our enemies."

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark for the covenant of ADONAI-Tzva'ot, who is present above the k'ruvim. The two sons of 'Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, were there with the ark for the covenant of God.

When the ark for the covenant of ADONAI entered the camp, all Isra'el gave a mighty shout that resounded through the land.

On hearing the shout, the P'lishtim asked, "What does this great shout in the Hebrews' camp mean?"Then they realized that the ark of ADONAI had arrived in the camp,

and the P'lishtim became afraid. They said, "God has entered the camp! We're lost! There was no such thing yesterday or the day before.

Moreover, the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of 'Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, died.

As he arrived, 'Eli was sitting on his seat by the road, watching; because he was trembling with anxiety over the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told the news, the whole city began crying out.

The one who had come with the news answered, "Isra'el fled before the P'lishtim, and there was a terrible slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hofni and Pinchas, also are dead; and the ark of God was captured.

As soon as he mentioned what had happened to the ark of God, 'Eli fell backward off his seat next to the gate, broke his neck and died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Isra'el forty years.

His daughter-in-law, Pinchas's wife, was pregnant and near delivery-time. When she heard the news that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into abnormal labor, bent over and gave birth.

She named the child I-Khavod [without glory], saying, "The glory has departed from Isra'el"; because the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and husband.

She said, "The glory of Isra'el has gone into exile, because the ark of God has been captured."