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 so it was, when the word of Samuel had reached all Israel, that Israel went forth to meet the Philistines in battle, and they encamped near Eben-ezer, while, 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 set themselves in array to meet Israel, and, when the battle spread, then was Israel smitten before the Philistines, —and there were slain of the army 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 came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Yahweh smitten us to-day, before the Philistines? Let us fetch unto us, out of Shiloh, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, that, when it cometh into our midst, it may save 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 bare from thence the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts, who inhabiteth the cherubim, —and, there, were the two sons of Eli, with the ark of the covenant of God, namely, Hophni and Phinehas.

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 so it was, when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, that all Israel brake out into a loud shout of joy, —so that the earth rang again.

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 shout, they said—What meaneth the noise of this loud shout of joy in the camp of the Hebrews? And they learned that, the ark of Yahweh, had 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 hath come into the camp. And they said—Woe to us! for there hath not happened the like of this, heretofore.

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 to us! Who shall rescue us out of the hand of these majestic gods? These, are the gods, who smote the Egyptians with all manner of smiting in the desert!

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!”

Take courage, and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines, lest ye come into bondage to the Hebrews, as they have been in bondage unto you, —therefore must ye quit yourselves 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.

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his home; and the slaughter became exceeding great, —and there fell of Israel—thirty thousand footmen.

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, were slain, Hophni and Phinehas.

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 out of the army, and entered Shiloh on the same day, —with his clothes rent, and with 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 entered, lo! Eli was sitting upon his chair, by the wayside, watching, for his heart was trembling for the ark of God, —and, the man, entered to tell the news in the city, and all the city made outcry.

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 outcry, he said—What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And, the man, hasted, and came, and told Eli.

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

Now, Eli, was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were fixed, 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?”

So the man said unto Eli, I, am he that came in from the army, yea, I, from the army, fled to-day. And he said—What is the thing that hath happened, 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 bearer of tidings answered, and said—Israel hath fled before the Philistines, Moreover also, a great smiting, hath taken place among the people, —Moreover also, thy two sons, are slain, Hophni and Phinehas, And, the ark of God, is 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 his seat backwards, at the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died, for, old, was the man, 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.

Now, his daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, was with child, ready to give birth, and, when she heard the tidings, as to the taking of the ark of God, and the death of her father-in-law, and her husband, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains had seized 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, about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said: Do not fear, for, to a son, hast thou given birth. But she neither answered nor regarded.

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 called the boy I-chabod ["Where’s the glory?"]! saying, Exiled is the glory from Israel, —In regard to the taking of the ark of God, and to her father-in-law, and to her husband.

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

So she said—Exiled is the glory from Israel, —For the ark of God hath been taken.