Study Desk

He answered, "You've taken away my god, which I made, and gone off with the cohen! What more have I got? How can you ask me, ‘What's wrong with you?'"

Thus they erected for themselves Mikhah's idol which he had made, and it remained there as long as the house of God was in Shiloh.

The leaders of all the tribes of Isra'el presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers armed with swords.

The army of Isra'el began by going up to Beit-El, where they asked God, "Who should go up first to attack the army of Binyamin?" Adonai said, "Y'hudah first."

and asked Adonai what to do. The ark for the covenant of God was there at that time;

The people came to Beit-El and stayed there before God till evening crying out and weeping.

She said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god; go back, after your sister-in-law."

But Rut said, "Don't press me to leave you and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.

May Adonai reward you for what you've done; may you be rewarded in full by Adonai the God of Isra'el, under whose wings you have come for refuge."

Then ‘Eli replied, "Go in peace. May the God of Isra'el grant what you have asked of him."

"No one is as holy as Adonai , because there is none to compare with you, no rock like our God.

"Stop your proud boasting! Don't let arrogance come from your mouth! For Adonai is a God of knowledge, and he appraises actions.

A man of God came to ‘Eli and told him, "Here is what Adonai says: ‘Didn't I reveal myself to your ancestor's clan when they were in Egypt, serving as slaves in Pharaoh's household?

"Therefore Adonai the God of Isra'el says, ‘I did indeed say that your family and your father's family would walk in my presence forever.' But now Adonai says, ‘Forget it! I respect those who respect me, but those who despise me will meet with contempt.

The lamp of God had not yet gone out; and Sh'mu'el had lain down to sleep in the sanctuary of Adonai , where the ark of God was.

‘Eli said, "What did he say to you? Please, don't hide it from me; may God do whatever he said and worse, if you hide from me anything he said to you."

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark for the covenant of Adonai -Tzva'ot, who is present above the k'ruvim. The two sons of ‘Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, were there with the ark for the covenant of God.

and the P'lishtim became afraid. They said, "God has entered the camp! We're lost! There was no such thing yesterday or the day before.

Moreover, the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of ‘Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, died.

As he arrived, ‘Eli was sitting on his seat by the road, watching; because he was trembling with anxiety over the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told the news, the whole city began crying out.