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.
Saa bere no, na Israelfo ne Filistifo reko. Israelfo nsraadɔm kyeree nsraban wɔ Ebeneser, na Filistifo nso kyeree nsraban wɔ Afek.
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.
Filistifo no tow hyɛɛ Israelfo nsraadɔm no so, dii wɔn so nkonim, na wokum nnipa mpem anan.
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!”
Ɔko no baa awiei, na Israel nsraadɔm no san kɔɔ wɔn nsraban mu hɔ no, Israel mpanyimfo no bisae se, “Adɛn nti na Awurade ama yɛadi nkogu nnɛ yi wɔ Filistifo anim yi? Momma yɛnkɔfa Awurade Apam Adaka no mfi Silo. Sɛ yɛde kɔ ɔsa a, ebegye yɛn afi yɛn atamfo nsam.”
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.
Enti nnipa no somaa mmarima kɔɔ Silo, na wɔde Asafo Awurade a ɔte kerubim ntam Apam Adaka no bae. Saa bere no na Eli mmabarima baanu Hofni ne Pinehas ka wɔn a wɔsoaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ akono hɔ no ho.
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!
Bere a Israelfo no huu sɛ wɔde Awurade Apam Adaka no reba nsraban no mu no, wɔn nyinaa bɔɔ ose maa asase wosowee.
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.
Filistifo no bisae se, “Dɛn na ɛrekɔ so yi? Dɛn osebɔ na ɛwɔ Hebrifo nsraban mu hɔ yi?” Wɔtee sɛ Awurade Apam Adaka no na abedu nsraban mu hɔ no,
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!
wosuroe. Na wɔkae se, “Anyame no aba wɔn nsraban mu hɔ. Ɛno de, asɛm ato yɛn! Yenhyiaa asɛm a ɛte sɛɛ bi da.
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.
Hena na obegye yɛn afi saa Israel anyame atumfo yi nsam? Wɔne anyame a wɔde owu ɔyare ahorow nyinaa bi sɛee Misraimfo, bere a Israelfo wɔ sare so hɔ no.
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!”
Monyere mo ho, Filistifo! Munnyina sɛ mmarima; anyɛ saa a, Hebrifo no bɛfa mo nkoa sɛnea wɔyɛɛ yɛn nkoa no.”
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.
Enti Filistifo no koe anibere so, dii Israelfo no so bio. Wɔn a wokunkum wɔn no dɔɔso. Israelfo mpem aduasa na wokunkum wɔn da no. Wɔn a wonyaa wɔn ti didii mu no guan kɔɔ wɔn ntamadan mu.
11 The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
Wɔfaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no, na wokunkum Eli mmabarima baanu no, Hofni ne Pinehas.
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].
Da no ara, ɔbarima bi fi Benyamin abusua mu guan fii akono hɔ beduu Silo. Na watetew ne ntade mu, de mfutuma ahura ne ti mu, de kyerɛ nʼawerɛhow.
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.
Na Eli retwɛn wɔ kwankyɛn baabi, pɛ sɛ ɔte ɔko no mu nsɛm, efisɛ na ne bo ntɔ ne yam koraa wɔ Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ho. Ɔbɔfo no ba bɛkaa asɛm a asi no, wɔtee nteɛteɛmu bi wɔ kurow no mu nyinaa.
14 Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.
Eli bisae se, “Saa nteɛteɛmu yi ase ne dɛn?” Ɔbɔfo no yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli,
15 At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.
a na wadi mfe aduɔkron awotwe na nʼani afura no nkyɛn.
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?”
Ɔka kyerɛɛ Eli se, “Mprempren ara na mifi akono hɔ bae. Nnɛ yi ara, na mewɔ hɔ.” Eli bisae se, “Na ekosii dɛn?”
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.”
Ɔbɔfo no buae se, “Israelfo adi nkogu. Israel nsraadɔm no mpem mpem atotɔ wɔ akono hɔ. Afei, wo mmabarima baanu a ɛyɛ Hofni ne Pinehas no nso awuwu, na Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no nso, wɔafa.”
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.
Ɔbɔfo no kaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ho asɛm ara pɛ, Eli fi akongua a ɔte so mu wɔ abɔntenpon ho no te hwee nʼakyi. Ne kɔn mu bui, efisɛ na wabɔ akwakoraa a ne mu nso yɛ duru. Na wadi Israel anim mfirihyia aduanan.
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.
Saa bere no na nʼasebea a ɔyɛ Pinehas yere anyinsɛn a ɔreyɛ awo. Ɔtee sɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no, na nʼase ne ne kunu awuwu no, awo kaa no amono mu hɔ ara.
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.
Owuu wɔ awoko mu, nanso ansa na ɔrebewu no, mmea a wɔregye no awo no kae se, “Mpa abaw; woawo abarimaa.” Nanso wammua wɔn na wankasa wɔn ho nso.
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.
Ɔbesebesee nʼano too abarimaa no din Ikabod, “Anuonyam no wɔ he, Israel anuonyam no asa,” efisɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no na nʼase ne ne kunu nso awuwu.
22 She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.
Ɔkae se, “Anuonyam afi Israel mu, efisɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no.”
