1 Samuel 4:16-18

Easy-to-Read Version

¹⁶ He said, “I am the man who just came from the battle. I ran away from the battle today.”

Eli asked, “What happened, son?”

¹⁷ The Benjamite man answered, “Israel ran away from the Philistines. The Israelite army has lost many soldiers. Your two sons are both dead, and the Philistines took God’s Holy Box.”

¹⁸ When the Benjamite man mentioned God’s Holy Box, Eli fell backward off his chair near the gate and broke his neck. Eli was old and fat, so he died. He had led Israel for 20 years.^[a]