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Now Eli was ninetie and eight yeeres old, and his eyes were dimme, that he could not see.

And it came to passe when hee made mention of the Arke of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his necke brake, and hee died: for hee was an old man, and heauie, and hee had iudged Israel fortie yeeres.

And his daughter in law Phinehas wife was with childe neere to be deliuered: and when shee heard the tidings that the Arke of God was taken, and that her father in law, and her husband were dead, shee bowed her selfe and traueyled; for her paines came vpon her.

And when they of Ashdod arose earely on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen vpon his face to the earth, before the Arke of the Lord: and they tooke Dagon, and set him in his place againe.

And when they arose earely on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen vpon his face to the ground, before the Arke of the Lord: and the head of Dagon, and both the palmes of his hands were cut off vpon the threshold, only the stumpe of Dagon was left to him.

And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The Arke of the God of Israel shall not abide with vs: for his hand is sore vpon vs, and vpon Dagon our god.

So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the Arke of the God of Israel, and let it goe againe to his owne place, that it slay vs not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the citie: The hand of God was very heauy there.

And the Philistines called for the priests and the diuiners, saying, What shall we doe to the Arke of the Lord ? Tell vs wherewith we shall send it to his place?

And they said, If yee send away the Arke of the God of Israel, send it not empty: but in any wise returne him a trespasse offring: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be knowen to you, why his hand is not remooued from you.

Wherefore ye shall make images of your Emerodes, and images of your Mice, that marre the land, and ye shall giue glory vnto the God of Israel: peraduenture hee will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.

And see, if it goeth vp by the way of his owne coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done vs this great euill: but if not, then wee shall know that it is not his hand that smote vs; it was a chance that happened to vs.

And the men of Kiriath-iearim came, and fetcht vp the Arke of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his sonne, to keepe the Arke of the Lord.

And Samuel iudged Israel all the dayes of his life.

And his returne was to Ramah: for there was his house: and there hee iudged Israel, and there hee built an altar vnto the Lord.

And it came to passe, when Samuel was old, that he made his sonnes Iudges ouer Israel.

Now the name of his first borne was Ioel, and the name of his second, Abiah: they were Iudges in Beer-sheba.

And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke bribes, & peruerted iudgement.

And hee sayd, This will be the maner of the king that shall reigne ouer you: Hee will take your sonnes, and appoint them for himselfe for his charets, and to bee his horsemen, and some shall runne before his charets.

And hee will appoint him Captaines ouer thousands, and captaines ouer fifties, and will set them to eare his ground, and to reape his haruest, and to make his instruments of warre, and instruments of his charets.

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliue-yards, euen the best of them, and giue them to his seruants.