When he mentionedthe arkof God,Eli felloffthe seatbackwardbesidethe gate,and his neckwas brokenand he died,for he was oldand heavy.Thus he judgedIsraelfortyyears.
O LORD,I lovethe habitationof Your houseAnd the placewhereYour glorydwells.
As a shatteringof my bones,my adversariesrevileme, While they sayto me alldaylong, "Whereis your God?"
My tearshave beenmy fooddayand night,While [they] sayto me alldaylong, "Whereis your God?"
For zealfor Your househas consumedme, And the reproachesof those who reproachYou have fallenon me.
Then Mosessaidto Aaron,"It is whatthe LORDspoke,saying,By those who comenearMe I will be treatedas holy,And beforeallthe peopleI will be honored.'"So Aaron,therefore, keptsilent.
So he judgedIsraeltwentyyearsin the daysof the Philistines.
When he came,behold,Eliwas sittingon [his] seatby the roadeagerly watching,becausehis heartwas tremblingfor the arkof God.So the mancameto tell[it] in the city,and allthe citycriedout.
Then the one who broughtthe newsreplied,"Israelhas fledbeforethe Philistinesand there has alsobeena greatslaughteramong the people,and your twosonsalso,Hophniand Phinehas,are dead,and the arkof Godhas been taken."
Now his daughter-in-law,Phinehas'swife,was pregnantand about to givebirth;and when she heardthe newsthat the arkof Godwas takenand that her father-in-lawand her husbandhad died,she kneeleddownand gavebirth,for her painscameupon her.
