< 1 Samuel 4 >

1 And Samuel's words came to all Israel. And Eli grew very old, and his sons kept advancing in their wicked behavior before Jehovah. And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel. And Israel went out to meet them in battle, and camped beside Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped in Aphek.
וַיְהִי דְבַר־שְׁמוּאֵל לְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּצֵא יִשְׂרָאֵל לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים לַמִּלְחָמָה וַֽיַּחֲנוּ עַל־הָאֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר וּפְלִשְׁתִּים חָנוּ בַאֲפֵֽק׃
2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was struck before the Philistines; and they killed of the army in the field about four thousand men.
וַיַּעַרְכוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים לִקְרַאת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתִּטֹּשׁ הַמִּלְחָמָה וַיִּנָּגֶף יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּכּוּ בַמַּֽעֲרָכָה בַּשָּׂדֶה כְּאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים אִֽישׁ׃
3 When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has Jehovah struck us today before the Philistines? Let us get the ark of Jehovah out of Shiloh to us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies."
וַיָּבֹא הָעָם אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָּה נְגָפָנוּ יְהֹוָה הַיּוֹם לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים נִקְחָה אֵלֵינוּ מִשִּׁלֹה אֶת־אֲרוֹן בְּרִית יְהֹוָה וְיָבֹא בְקִרְבֵּנוּ וְיֹשִׁעֵנוּ מִכַּף אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃
4 So the people sent to Shiloh; and they brought from there the ark of Jehovah, who sits above the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark.
וַיִּשְׁלַח הָעָם שִׁלֹה וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם אֵת אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים וְשָׁם שְׁנֵי בְנֵֽי־עֵלִי עִם־אֲרוֹן בְּרִית הָאֱלֹהִים חׇפְנִי וּפִֽינְחָֽס׃
5 When the ark of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
וַיְהִי כְּבוֹא אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־יְהֹוָה אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּרִעוּ כׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרוּעָה גְדוֹלָה וַתֵּהֹם הָאָֽרֶץ׃
6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" They understood that the ark of Jehovah had come into the camp.
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת־קוֹל הַתְּרוּעָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֶה קוֹל הַתְּרוּעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת בְּמַחֲנֵה הָעִבְרִים וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי אֲרוֹן יְהֹוָה בָּא אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃
7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, "Gods have come into the camp." They said, "Woe to us. For there has not been such a thing before.
וַיִּֽרְאוּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי אָֽמְרוּ בָּא אֱלֹהִים אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ אוֹי לָנוּ כִּי לֹא הָיְתָה כָּזֹאת אֶתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹֽׁם׃
8 Woe to us. Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
אוֹי לָנוּ מִי יַצִּילֵנוּ מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הָאַדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה אֵלֶּה הֵם הָאֱלֹהִים הַמַּכִּים אֶת־מִצְרַיִם בְּכׇל־מַכָּה בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
9 Be strong, and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight."
הִֽתְחַזְּקוּ וִֽהְיוּ לַֽאֲנָשִׁים פְּלִשְׁתִּים פֶּן תַּעַבְדוּ לָֽעִבְרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ לָכֶם וִהְיִיתֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים וְנִלְחַמְתֶּֽם׃
10 So they fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled every man to his tent. And there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּנָּגֶף יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּנֻסוּ אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו וַתְּהִי הַמַּכָּה גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד וַיִּפֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף רַגְלִֽי׃
11 The ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
וַאֲרוֹן אֱלֹהִים נִלְקָח וּשְׁנֵי בְנֵֽי־עֵלִי מֵתוּ חׇפְנִי וּפִֽינְחָֽס׃
12 There ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with earth on his head.
וַיָּרׇץ אִישׁ־בִּנְיָמִן מֵהַמַּעֲרָכָה וַיָּבֹא שִׁלֹה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וּמַדָּיו קְרֻעִים וַאֲדָמָה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃
13 When he came, look, Eli was sitting on his seat by the side of the gate watching the road, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
וַיָּבוֹא וְהִנֵּה עֵלִי יֹשֵׁב עַֽל־הַכִּסֵּא (יך) [יַד] דֶּרֶךְ מְצַפֶּה כִּֽי־הָיָה לִבּוֹ חָרֵד עַל אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וְהָאִישׁ בָּא לְהַגִּיד בָּעִיר וַתִּזְעַק כׇּל־הָעִֽיר׃
14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What does the noise of this tumult mean?" The man hurried, and came and told Eli.
וַיִּשְׁמַע עֵלִי אֶת־קוֹל הַצְּעָקָה וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה קוֹל הֶהָמוֹן הַזֶּה וְהָאִישׁ מִהַר וַיָּבֹא וַיַּגֵּד לְעֵלִֽי׃
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see.
וְעֵלִי בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִים וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה וְעֵינָיו קָמָה וְלֹא יָכוֹל לִרְאֽוֹת׃
16 The man said to Eli, "I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army." He said, "How did the matter go, my son?"
וַיֹּאמֶר הָאִישׁ אֶל־עֵלִי אָֽנֹכִי הַבָּא מִן־הַמַּעֲרָכָה וַאֲנִי מִן־הַמַּעֲרָכָה נַסְתִּי הַיּוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה־הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּנִֽי׃
17 He who brought the news answered, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured."
וַיַּעַן הַֽמְבַשֵּׂר וַיֹּאמֶר נָס יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וְגַם מַגֵּפָה גְדוֹלָה הָיְתָה בָעָם וְגַם־שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ מֵתוּ חׇפְנִי וּפִינְחָס וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים נִלְקָֽחָה׃
18 It happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.
וַיְהִי כְּהַזְכִּירוֹ ׀ אֶת־אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּפֹּל מֵֽעַל־הַכִּסֵּא אֲחֹרַנִּית בְּעַד ׀ יַד הַשַּׁעַר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר מַפְרַקְתּוֹ וַיָּמֹת כִּֽי־זָקֵן הָאִישׁ וְכָבֵד וְהוּא שָׁפַט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָֽה׃
19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered. When she heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.
וְכַלָּתוֹ אֵשֶׁת־פִּֽינְחָס הָרָה לָלַת וַתִּשְׁמַע אֶת־הַשְּׁמוּעָה אֶל־הִלָּקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וּמֵת חָמִיהָ וְאִישָׁהּ וַתִּכְרַע וַתֵּלֶד כִּֽי־נֶהֶפְכוּ עָלֶיהָ צִרֶֽיהָ׃
20 When her time came, she was abount to die, and the women who stood by her said to her, "Do not be afraid; for you have given birth to a son." But she did not answer, neither did she regard it.
וּכְעֵת מוּתָהּ וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה הַנִּצָּבוֹת עָלֶיהָ אַל־תִּֽירְאִי כִּי בֵן יָלָדְתְּ וְלֹא עָנְתָה וְלֹא־שָׁתָה לִבָּֽהּ׃
21 And she named the boy Ichabod, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
וַתִּקְרָא לַנַּעַר אִֽיכָבוֹד לֵאמֹר גָּלָה כָבוֹד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־הִלָּקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶל־חָמִיהָ וְאִישָֽׁהּ׃
22 She said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured."
וַתֹּאמֶר גָּלָה כָבוֹד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כִּי נִלְקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃

< 1 Samuel 4 >