1 Samuel 4

1 And Samuel told to all the people of Israel the messages that God gave him. At that time the Israeli army went to fight against the army of the Philistine people. The Israeli army set up their tents at Ebenezer, and the Philistine army set up their tents at Aphek.

And the word of Samuel became known to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ha'ezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

2 The Philistine army attacked the Israeli army, and as the battle continued, the Philistines defeated the Israelis and killed about 4,000 of their soldiers.

And the Philistines put themselves in battle-array against Israel; and the battle became general, and Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew on the battle-ground, in the field, about four thousand men.

3 When the remaining Israeli soldiers returned to their camp, the Israeli elders/leaders said, “Why did Yahweh allow the Philistine army to defeat us today? We should bring the chest that contains the Ten Commandments here from Shiloh, in order that Yahweh will go with us [when we go to the battle again, and] in order that our enemies will not defeat us again!”

And when the people were come back into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us this day before the Philistines? Let us bring over to us out of Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that it may come in the midst of us, and deliver us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the soldiers did that. They sent some men to Shiloh, and those men brought back the chest that contained the Ten Commandments. [They thought that if they did that, Yahweh would help them. They believed that] Yahweh sat on a throne between the statues of winged creatures [that were on top of] the chest that Yahweh Almighty [had given them]. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, went with them.

So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought away from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who dwelleth over the cherubim: and the two sons of 'Eli, Chophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 When the Israeli people saw [the men bringing] the box into their camp, they were so happy that they shouted loudly. They shouted so loudly that they made the ground shake!

And it happened when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, that all Israel set up a great shout, so that the earth trembled.

6 The Philistines asked, “What are the people in the Hebrew camp shouting about?” Someone told them that they were shouting because the chest that contained the Ten Commandments of Yahweh had been brought to them.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

7 Then the Philistines became very afraid. They said, “One of the Israelis’ gods has come into their camp [to help them] We are in big trouble now! Nothing like this has happened to us before!

And the Philistines were afraid; for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for the like of this hath not been, yesterday or the day before.

8 (Who can/Can anyone) save us from their powerful gods [RHQ]? They are the gods who struck the people of Egypt with many plagues [before the Israelis left Egypt and traveled] through the desert.

Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with every plague in the wilderness.

9 You Philistine men, be courageous! Fight very hard! If you do not do that, [they will defeat us, and then] you will become their slaves, just like they have been our slaves previously!”

Be strong, and act like men, O Philistines, so that ye become not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been servants to you: therefore act like men, and fight.

10 So the Philistine men fought very hard, and they defeated the Israelis. They killed 30,000 Israeli soldiers, and the other Israeli soldiers fled and ran away to their tents.

And the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were smitten, and they fled every man unto his tent: and the defeat was very great; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand men on foot.

11 The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of 'Eli, Chophni and Phinehas, died also.

12 On that same day, one man of the tribe [descended from] Benjamin tore his clothes and threw dirt on his head [to show that he was very sad]. He ran from the place where the armies were fighting, and he arrived at Shiloh late [that afternoon].

And there ran a man of Benjamin from the battlefield, and came to Shiloh on the same day, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head.

13 Eli was waiting beside the road. [He wanted to hear news about the battle, and] he was also very anxious to know if anything bad had happened to God’s sacred chest. When the messenger arrived and told people what had happened, everyone in the town started to cry loudly.

And when he came, lo, 'Eli was sitting upon a chair by the wayside watching; for his heart was anxious for the ark of God. And when the man came to tell it in the city, all the city cried out.

14 Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.

And when 'Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this multitude? And the man came in hastily, and told it to 'Eli.

15 At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.

Now 'Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were fixed, so that he could not see.

16 The messenger said to Eli, “I have just come from where the armies were fighting. I left there earlier today.” Eli asked, “What happened?”

And the man said unto 'Eli, I am the person that came from the battlefield, and I myself fled from the battlefield today. And he said, What was it that took place, my son?

17 The man replied, “The Philistines defeated our Israeli army. They killed thousands of our soldiers, and the others ran away. The Philistines killed your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They also captured God’s sacred chest.”

And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath also been a great slaughter among the people, and also thy two sons, Chophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God hath been taken.

18 Eli was very old, and he was very fat; and when he heard what had happened to the sacred chest, he fell backward from his chair beside the town gate. His neck was broken and he died. He had led the Israeli people for 40 years before he died.

And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from off the chair backward by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken, and he died; for the man was old, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

19 The wife/widow of Eli’s son Phinehas was pregnant, and it was almost time for her to give birth to her baby. When she heard that God’s sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and her father-in-law were dead, her labor pains suddenly began. She quickly gave birth to a boy.

And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings concerning that the ark of God had been taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she sank down and gave birth; for her pains came suddenly upon her.

20 The women who were helping her tried to encourage her by saying to her, “You have given birth to a son!” But she did not pay any attention [DOU] to what they said.

And at the moment of her dying, the women that stood around her spoke [unto her], Fear not; for a son hast thou born. But she answered not, nor did she take it to heart.

21 She named the boy Ichabod, which means ‘no glory’, because she said, “[God’s] glory has departed from Israel.” She said that because God’s sacred chest had been captured and because her husband and her father-in-law had died.

And she named the child I-chabod, saying, Glory is departed from Israel; because of the taking away of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22 She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.

And she said, Glory is departed from Israel; for the ark of God hath been taken away.