1 Samuel 4

1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight: and Israel went out to war against the Philistines, and camped by the Stone of help. And the Philistines came to Aphec,

The word of Samuel came to all of Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They set up camp at Ebenezer, and the Philistines set up camp at Aphek.

2 And put their army in array against Israel. And when they had joined battle, Israel turned their backs to the Philistines, and there was slain in that fight here and there in the fields about four thousand men.

The Philistines lined up for battle against Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle.

3 And the people returned to the camp: and the ancients of Israel said: Why hath the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch unto us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Silo, and let it come in the midst of us, that it may save us from the hand of our enemies.

When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh here from Shiloh, that it may be here with us, that it might keep us safe from the hands of our enemies.”

4 So the people sent to Silo, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts sitting upon the cherubims: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were with the ark of the covenant of God.

So the people sent men to Shiloh; from there they carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts, who sits above the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord was come into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, and the earth rang again.

When the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all of the people of Israel gave a great shout, and the earth resounded.

6 And the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, and they said: What is this noise of a great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they realized that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, saying: God is come into the camp. And sighing, they said:

The Philistines were afraid; they said, “A god has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! Nothing like this has happened before!

8 Woe to us: for there was no such great joy yesterday and the day before: Woe to us. Who shall deliver us from the hand of these high gods? these are the gods that struck Egypt with all the plagues in the desert.

Woe to us! Who will protect us from the strength of these mighty gods? These are the gods who attacked the Egyptians with many different kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Take courage and behave like men, ye Philistines: lest you come to be servants to the Hebrews, as they have served you: take courage and fight.

Take courage, and be men, you Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you. Be men, and fight.”

10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was overthrown, and every man fled to his own dwelling: and there was an exceeding great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated. Every man fled to his house, and the slaughter was very great; for thirty thousand foot soldiers from Israel fell.

11 And the ark of God was taken: and the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were slain.

The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Silo the same day, with his clothes rent, and his head strewed with dust.

A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, arriving with his clothes torn and earth on his head.

13 And when he was come, Heli sat upon a stool over against the way watching. For his heart was fearful for the ark of God. And when the man was come into the city, he told it: and all the city cried out.

When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching because his heart trembled with concern for the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told the news, the whole city cried out.

14 And Heli heard the noise of the cry, and he said: What meaneth the noise of this uproar? But he made haste, and came, and told Heli.

When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What is the meaning of this uproar?” The man quickly came and told Eli.

15 Now Heli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; his eyes did not focus, and he could not see.

16 And he said to Heli: I am he that came from the battle, and have fled out of the field this day. And he said to him: What is there done, my son?

The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. I fled from the battle today.” Eli said, “How did it go, my son?”

17 And he that brought the news answered, and said: Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter of the people: moreover thy two sons, Ophni and Phinees, are dead: and the ark of God is taken.

The man who brought the news answered and said, “Israel fled from the Philistines. Also, there has been a great defeat among the people. Also, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”

18 And when he had named the ark of God, he fell from his stool backwards by the door, and broke his neck, and died. For he was an old man, and far advanced in years: and he judged Israel forty years.

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate. His neck was broken, and he died, because he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

19 And his daughter in law the wife of Phinees, was big with child, and near her time: and hearing the news that the ark of God was taken, and her father in law, and her husband, were dead, she bowed herself and fell in labour: for her pains came upon her on a sudden.

Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she knelt down and gave birth, but her labor pains overwhelmed her.

20 And when she was upon the point of death, they that stood about her said to her: Fear not, for thou hast borne a son. She answered them not, nor gave heed to them.

About the time of her death the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or take what they said to heart.

21 And she called the child Ichabod, saying: The glory is gone from Israel, because the ark of God was taken, and for her father in law, and her husband:

She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has gone away from Israel!” for the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22 And she said: The glory is departed from Israel, because the ark of God was taken.

She said, “The glory has gone away from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”