They set out, went to Bethel, and inquired of God. The Israelites asked, "Who is to go first to fight for us against the Benjaminites?" And the LORD answered, "Judah will be first."

They went up, wept before the LORD until evening, and inquired of Him: "Should we again fight against our brothers the Benjaminites?" And the LORD answered: "Fight against them."

He will stand before Eleazar who will consult the LORD for him with the decision of the Urim. He and all the Israelites with him, even the entire community, will go out and come back in at his command."

The entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh where it set up the tent of meeting there; the land had been subdued by them.

When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD let us be defeated today by the Philistines? Let's bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh. Then it will go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies."

So the people sent [men] to Shiloh to bring back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who dwells [between] the cherubim. Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent where He resided among men.

He gave up His strength to captivity and His splendor to the hand of a foe.

"But return to My place that was at Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at first. See what I did to it because of the evil of My people Israel.

Indeed, the LORD's hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear.