¹¹ Also ^(A)the ark of God was captured; and ^(B)the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Death of Eli

¹² Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and ^(C)came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and ^(D)dirt on his head. ¹³ Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on ^(E)a seat ^[a]by the wayside watching, for his heart ^[b]trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. ¹⁴ When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the sound of this tumult mean?” And the man came quickly and told Eli. ¹⁵ Eli was ninety-eight years old, and ^(F)his eyes were so ^[c]dim that he could not see.

¹⁶ Then the man said to Eli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.”

And he said, ^(G)“What happened, my son?”

¹⁷ So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.”

¹⁸ Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all ^(A)your father’s house!”