< 1 Samuel 4 >

1 and Samuel's words were communicated to all the Israelites. The Israelites marched out to confront the Philistines in battle. They set up camp at Ebenezer, while the Philistines set up camp at Aphek.
Na nnipa a wɔwɔ Israel nyinaa tee nsɛm a ɛfiri Samuel hɔ. Saa ɛberɛ no, na Israelfoɔ ne Filistifoɔ reko. Israelfoɔ akodɔm kyeree sraban wɔ Ebeneser ɛnna Filistifoɔ nso kyeree sraban wɔ Afek.
2 The Philistines attacked the Israelites in formation, and when the battle spread, the Philistines defeated the Israelites, killing 4,000 of them on the battlefield.
Filistifoɔ no to hyɛɛ Israelfoɔ akodɔm no so, dii wɔn so nkonim, na wɔkumm nnipa mpemnan.
3 When the Israelite army returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord defeat us before Philistines today? Let's go and get the Ark of the Lord's Agreement from Shiloh, so that he can accompany us and save us from our enemies.”
Ɔko no baa awieeɛ, na Israel akodɔm sane kɔɔ wɔn sraban mu hɔ no, Israel mpanimfoɔ no bisaa sɛ, “Adɛn nti na Awurade ama yɛadi nkoguo ɛnnɛ yi wɔ Filistifoɔ anim yi? Momma yɛnkɔfa Awurade Apam Adaka no mfiri Silo. Sɛ yɛde kɔ ɔsa a, ɛbɛgye yɛn afiri yɛn atamfoɔ nsam.”
4 So the army sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the Ark of the Lord Almighty's Agreement, he who sits on his throne between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were there with the Ark of the God's Agreement.
Enti, nnipa no somaa mmarima kɔɔ Silo, na wɔde Otumfoɔ Awurade a ɔte Kerubim ntam Apam Adaka no baeɛ. Saa ɛberɛ no na Eli mmammarima baanu Hofni ne Pinehas ka wɔn a wɔsoaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ akono hɔ no ho.
5 When the Ark of the Lord's Agreement arrived in the camp, all the Israelites gave such a loud shout it made the ground shake.
Ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ no hunuu sɛ wɔde Awurade Apam Adaka no reba nsraban no mu no, wɔn nyinaa bɔɔ ose maa asase wosoeɛ.
6 When the Philistines heard all the shouting, they asked, “What's the meaning of this shouting in the Israelite camp?” When they found out that the Ark of the Lord had arrived in the camp,
Filistifoɔ no bisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na ɛrekɔ so yi? Ɛdeɛn osebɔ na ɛwɔ Hebrifoɔ sraban mu hɔ yi?” Wɔtee sɛ Awurade Apam Adaka no na abɛduru sraban mu hɔ no,
7 the Philistines were afraid. “A god has arrived in the camp,” they said. “We're in trouble, for nothing like this has happened before.
wɔsuroeɛ. Na wɔkaa sɛ, “Anyame no aba wɔn sraban mu hɔ. Ɛnneɛ, asɛm ato yɛn! Yɛnhyiaa asɛm a ɛte sei bi da.
8 This is disaster for us! Who will save us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who attacked the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
Hwan na ɔbɛgye yɛn afiri saa Israel anyame atumfoɔ yi nsam? Wɔne anyame a wɔde owu yadeɛ ahodoɔ nyinaa bi sɛee Misraimfoɔ, ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ wɔ ɛserɛ so hɔ no.
9 Be brave, and fight like real men, Philistines! Otherwise you'll end up as slaves to the Israelites, just as they were your slaves. Now be real men and fight!”
Monnyere mo ho, Filistifoɔ! Monnyina sɛ mmarima; anyɛ saa a, Hebrifoɔ no bɛfa mo nkoa sɛdeɛ wɔyɛɛ yɛn nkoa no.”
10 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated—every man ran away home. The death toll was very large: thirty thousand of the Israelite infantry were killed.
Enti, Filistifoɔ no koo anibereɛ so, dii Israelfoɔ no so bio. Wɔn a wɔkunkumm wɔn no dɔɔso. Israelfoɔ ɔpeduasa na wɔkunkumm wɔn ɛda no. Wɔn a wɔnyaa wɔn ti didii mu no dwane kɔɔ wɔn ntomadan mu.
11 The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's two sons, died.
Wɔfaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no, na wɔkunkumm Eli mmammarima baanu a wɔyɛ Hofni ne Pinehas no.
12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battle that day all the way to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and he had dirt on his head.
Ɛda no ara, ɔbarima bi firi Benyamin abusuakuo mu dwane firii akono hɔ bɛduruu Silo. Na watete ne ntadeɛ mu, de mfuturo ahura ne tiri mu, de kyerɛ nʼawerɛhoɔ.
13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting there on his chair by the road, watching out for news because he was worried about the Ark of God. When the man came into town and gave his report, the whole town cried out loud.
Na Eli retwɛn wɔ kwankyɛn baabi, pɛ sɛ ɔte ɔko no mu nsɛm, ɛfiri sɛ, na ne bo ntɔ ne yam koraa wɔ Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ho. Ɔbɔfoɔ no ba bɛkaa asɛm a asie no, wɔtee nteateamu bi wɔ kuro no mu nyinaa.
14 Eli heard the crying and asked, “What's all this noise?” The man rushed over to Eli and told him what had happened.
Eli bisaa sɛ, “Saa nteateamu yi ase ne sɛn?” Ɔbɔfoɔ no yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli,
15 Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were fixed because he couldn't see.
a na wadi mfeɛ aduɔkron nwɔtwe na nʼani afira no nkyɛn.
16 “I've just come from the battle,” the man said. “I ran away from it today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked.
Ɔka kyerɛɛ Eli sɛ, “Seesei ara na mefiri akono hɔ baeɛ. Nnɛ yi ara, na mewɔ hɔ.” Eli bisaa sɛ, “Na ɛkɔsii sɛn?”
17 “Israel ran away from the Philistines—we were badly defeated,” the messenger replied. “Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed, and the Ark of God has been captured.”
Ɔbɔfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Israelfoɔ adi nkoguo. Israel akodɔm no mpem mpem atotɔ wɔ akono hɔ. Afei, wo mmammarima baanu a ɛyɛ Hofni ne Pinehas no nso wɔawuwu, na Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no nso, wɔafa.”
18 As soon as the Ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the town gate. Since he was old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. Eli had been Israel's leader for forty years.
Ɔbɔfoɔ no kaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ho asɛm ara pɛ, Eli firi akonnwa a ɔte so mu wɔ abɔntenpono ho no te hwee nʼakyi. Ne kɔn mu buiɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, na wabɔ akɔkoraa a ne mu nso yɛ duru. Na wadi Israel anim mfirinhyia aduanan.
19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news that the Ark of God had been captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but her labor pains were too strong.
Saa ɛberɛ no na nʼase baa a ɔyɛ Pinehas yere nyem a ɔreyɛ awoɔ. Ɔtee sɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no, na nʼase ne ne kunu awuwuo no, awoɔ kaa no amonom hɔ.
20 Just before she died, the women caring for her said, “Don't give up—you have given birth to a son!” But she didn't answer or give any response.
Ɔwuu wɔ awokoɔ mu, nanso ansa na ɔrebɛwu no, mmaa a wɔregye no awoɔ no kaa sɛ, “Nsuro woawo abarimaa.” Nanso, wammua wɔn na wankasa wɔn ho nso.
21 She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has left Israel,” because Ark of God had been captured, and her father-in-law and her husband had died.
Ɔbesebesee nʼano too abarimaa no edin Ikabod, “Animuonyam no wɔ he, Israel animuonyam no asa,” ɛfiri sɛ, wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no na nʼase ne ne kunu nso awuwu.
22 She said, “The glory has left Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Animuonyam afiri Israel mu, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no.”

< 1 Samuel 4 >