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,

And it was doon in tho daies Filisteis camen to gidere in to batel; for Israel yede out ayens Filisteis in to batel, and settiden tentis bisidis the stoon of help. Forsothe Filisteis camen in to Aphet,

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.

and maden redi scheltrun ayens Israel. Sotheli whanne the batel was bigunnun, Israel turned backis to Filisteis; and as foure thousynde of men weren slayn in that batel `euery where bi feeldis;

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.

and the puple of Israel turnede ayen to tentis. And the grettere men in birthe of Israel seiden, Whi hath the Lord smyte vs to dai bifore Filisteis? Brynge we to vs fro Silo the arke of boond of pees of the Lord, and come it in to the myddis of vs, that it saue vs fro the hond of oure enemyes.

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.

Therfor the puple sente in to Silo, and thei token fro thennus the arke of boond of pees of the Lord of oostis, `that sat on cherubyn. And Ophym and Fynees, twei sones of Heli, weren with the arke of boond of pees of the Lord.

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.

And whanne the arke of boond of pees of the Lord hadde come in to the castels, al Israel criede with grete cry, and the erthe sownede.

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.

And Filisteis herden the vois of cry, and seiden, What is this vois of greet cry in the castels of Ebrews? And thei knewen, that the arke of boond of pees of the Lord hadde come in to castels.

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

And Filisteis dredden, and seiden, God is come in to `the castels; and thei weiliden, and seiden, Wo to vs!

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.

for so greet ful ioiyng was not yistirdai, and the thridde day passid; wo to vs! who schal kepe vs fro the hond of `these hiye goddis? these ben the goddis, that smytiden Egipt with al veniaunce in deseert.

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.

Filisteis, be ye coumfortid, and be ye men, serue ye not Ebrews, as thei serueden vs; be ye coumfortid, and fiyte ye.

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.

Therfor Filisteis fouyten, and Israel was slayn, and ech man flei in to his tabernacle; and a ful greet veniaunce was maad, and thretti thousynde of foot men of Israel felden doun.

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

And the arke of God was takun; and, twei sones of Heli, Ophym and Fynees, weren deed.

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.

Sotheli a man of Beniamyn ran fro the scheltrun, and cam in to Silo in that dai, with his cloth torent and his heed bispreynt with dust; and whanne he was comen,

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.

Heli sat `on an hiye seete, `and bihelde ayens the weie; for his herte was dredyng for the arke of the Lord. Sotheli aftir that thilke man entride, he telde to the citee, and al the citee yellide.

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.

And Heli herde the soun of cry, and seide, What is this sown of this noise? And he hastide, and cam, and telde to Heli.

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

Forsothe Heli was of foure score yeer and eiytene, and hise iyen dasiwiden, and he myyte not se.

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?

And he seide to Heli, Y am that cam fro batel, and Y am that flei to dai fro the scheltrun. To whom Ely seide, My sone, what is doon?

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.

Forsothe he that telde answeride, and seide, Israel flei bifor Filisteis, and a greet fal is maad in the puple; ferthermore and thi twey sones, Ophym and Fynees, ben deed, and the arke of God is takun.

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.

And whanne he hadde nemyd the arke of God, Hely felde fro `the hiye seete bacward bisidis the dore, and `was deed; for the nollis weren brokun. For he was an eld man, and of greet age; and he demyde Israel bi fourti yeer.

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.

Forsothe his douyter in lawe, `the wijf of Finees, was with childe, and niy the child bering; and whanne `the message was herd that the arke of God was takun, and that hir fadir in lawe was deed, and hir hosebonde, sche bowide hir silf, and childide; for sodeyn sorewis felden in to hir.

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.

Sotheli in that moment of hir deeth, wymmen that stoden aboute hir, seiden to hir, Drede thou not, for thou hast childid a sone. And sche answeride not to hem, for nether `sche perseyuede.

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:

And sche clepide the child Ichaboth, and seide, The glorie of the Lord is translatid fro Israel, for the arke of God is takun; and for hir fadir in lawe and for hir hosebonde sche seide,

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

The glorie of God is translatid fro Israel, for the arke of God is takun.