he heard God speak again, he
desired him to speak, and to deliver what oracles he pleased to him, for
he would not fail to perform any ministration whatsoever he should make
use of him in;--to which God replied, "Since thou art here ready, learn
what miseries are coming upon the Israelites,--such indeed as words
cannot declare, nor faith believe; for the sons of Eli shall die on one
day, and the priesthood shall be transferred into the family of Eleazar;
for Eli hath loved his sons more than he hath loved my worship, and to
such a degree as is not for their advantage." Which message Eli obliged
the prophet by oath to tell him, for otherwise he had no inclination to
afflict him by telling it. And now Eli had a far more sure expectation
of the perdition of his sons; but the glory of Samuel increased more and
more, it being found by experience that whatsoever he prophesied came to
pass accordingly. [22]

CHAPTER 11. Herein Is Declared What Befell The Sons Of Eli, The Ark, And
The People And How Eli Himself Died Miserably.

1. About this time it was that the Philistines made war against the
Israelites, and pitched their camp at the city Aphek. Now when the
Israelites had expected them a little while, the very next day they
joined battle, and the Philistines were conquerors, and slew above four
thousand of the Hebrews, and pursued the rest of their multitude to
their camp.

2. So the Hebrews being afraid of the worst, sent to the senate, and to
the high priest, and desired that they would bring the ark of God, that
by putting themselves in array, when it was present with them, they
might be too hard for their enemies, as not reflecting that he who had
condemned them to endure these calamities was greater than the ark, and
for whose sake it was that this ark came to be honored. So the ark came,
and the sons of the high priest with it, having received a charge from
their father, that if they pretended to survive the taking of the ark,
they should come no more into his presence, for Phineas officiated
already as high priest, his father having resigned his office to him,
by reason of his great age. So the Hebrews were full of courage, as
supposing that, by the coming of the ark, they should be too hard for
their enemies: their enemies also were greatly concerned, and were
afraid of the ark's coming to the Israelites: however, the upshot did
not prove agreeable to the expectation of both sides, but when the
battle was