The sound of wailing and lamentation reached the watcher beside the tabernacle. The messenger was brought to him. And the man said unto Eli, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead." Eli could endure all this, terrible as it was, for he had expected it. But when the messenger added, "And the ark of God is taken," a look of unutterable anguish passed over his countenance. The thought that his sin had thus dishonored God and caused Him to withdraw His presence from Israel was more than he could bear; his strength was gone, he fell, "and his neck brake, and he died."

Filisterne foretog nu et kraftigt angreb, og Israel blev slået med store tab. 30.000 mand lå dræbt på slagmarken. Guds ark var taget, og Elis to sønner var faldet, mens de forsøgte at forsvare arken. Ved denne lejlighed blev der givet endnu et historisk vidnesbyrd til alle fremtidige slægter om, at Herren ikke vil lade de synder, som begås af det folk, der bekender sig til at tilhøre ham, være ustraffede. Jo bedre mennesker kender Guds vilje, jo større er deres synd, når de ringeagter den.