1 Samuel 4:12-18

New Catholic Bible

¹² The Death of Eli. That same day a Benjaminite ran from the battle line to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and there was dust on his head. ¹³ He came upon Eli who was sitting by the side of the road. He was watching, concerned about the Ark of God. When the man entered the city and told them what had happened, the entire city raised up a cry.

¹⁴ When Eli heard the uproar, he said, “What is the meaning of this outcry?” The man hurried over and explained it to Eli. ¹⁵ Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyesight was so poor that he could barely see. ¹⁶ The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle. I escaped from the battle today.” He asked, “How did things go, my son?” ¹⁷ The messenger answered, “Israel has fled from before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured.” ¹⁸ At the mention of the Ark of God, he fell over backwards off his seat beside the gate, and he broke his neck and died, for he was a very old man and quite heavy. He had been a judge^[a] of Israel for forty years.