1 Samuel 4

1 And it was doon in tho daies Filisteis camen to gidere in to batel; for Israel yede out ayens Filisteis in to batel, and settiden tentis bisidis the stoon of help. Forsothe Filisteis camen in to Aphet,

Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek.

2 and maden redi scheltrun ayens Israel. Sotheli whanne the batel was bigunnun, Israel turned backis to Filisteis; and as foure thousynde of men weren slayn in that batel `euery where bi feeldis;

The Philistines arrayed themselves against Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who struck down about four thousand men on the battlefield.

3 and the puple of Israel turnede ayen to tentis. And the grettere men in birthe of Israel seiden, Whi hath the Lord smyte vs to dai bifore Filisteis? Brynge we to vs fro Silo the arke of boond of pees of the Lord, and come it in to the myddis of vs, that it saue vs fro the hond of oure enemyes.

When the troops returned to the camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why has the LORD brought defeat on us before the Philistines today? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh, so that it may go with us to save us from the hand of our enemies.”

4 Therfor the puple sente in to Silo, and thei token fro thennus the arke of boond of pees of the Lord of oostis, `that sat on cherubyn. And Ophym and Fynees, twei sones of Heli, weren with the arke of boond of pees of the Lord.

So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And whanne the arke of boond of pees of the Lord hadde come in to the castels, al Israel criede with grete cry, and the erthe sownede.

When the ark of the covenant of the LORD entered the camp, all the Israelites raised such a great shout that it shook the ground.

6 And Filisteis herden the vois of cry, and seiden, What is this vois of greet cry in the castels of Ebrews? And thei knewen, that the arke of boond of pees of the Lord hadde come in to castels.

On hearing the noise of the shout, the Philistines asked, “What is this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?” And when they realized that the ark of the LORD had entered the camp,

7 And Filisteis dredden, and seiden, God is come in to `the castels; and thei weiliden, and seiden, Wo to vs!

the Philistines were afraid. “The gods have entered their camp!” they said. “Woe to us, for nothing like this has happened before.

8 for so greet ful ioiyng was not yistirdai, and the thridde day passid; wo to vs! who schal kepe vs fro the hond of `these hiye goddis? these ben the goddis, that smytiden Egipt with al veniaunce in deseert.

Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9 Filisteis, be ye coumfortid, and be ye men, serue ye not Ebrews, as thei serueden vs; be ye coumfortid, and fiyte ye.

Take courage and be men, O Philistines! Otherwise, you will serve the Hebrews just as they served you. Now be men and fight!”

10 Therfor Filisteis fouyten, and Israel was slayn, and ech man flei in to his tabernacle; and a ful greet veniaunce was maad, and thretti thousynde of foot men of Israel felden doun.

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great—thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.

11 And the arke of God was takun; and, twei sones of Heli, Ophym and Fynees, weren deed.

The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

12 Sotheli a man of Beniamyn ran fro the scheltrun, and cam in to Silo in that dai, with his cloth torent and his heed bispreynt with dust; and whanne he was comen,

That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

13 Heli sat `on an hiye seete, `and bihelde ayens the weie; for his herte was dredyng for the arke of the Lord. Sotheli aftir that thilke man entride, he telde to the citee, and al the citee yellide.

When he arrived, there was Eli, sitting on his chair beside the road and watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.

14 And Heli herde the soun of cry, and seide, What is this sown of this noise? And he hastide, and cam, and telde to Heli.

Eli heard the outcry and asked, “Why this commotion?” So the man hurried over and reported to Eli.

15 Forsothe Heli was of foure score yeer and eiytene, and hise iyen dasiwiden, and he myyte not se.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his gaze was fixed because he could not see.

16 And he seide to Heli, Y am that cam fro batel, and Y am that flei to dai fro the scheltrun. To whom Ely seide, My sone, what is doon?

“I have just come from the battle,” the man said to Eli. “I fled from there today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked.

17 Forsothe he that telde answeride, and seide, Israel flei bifor Filisteis, and a greet fal is maad in the puple; ferthermore and thi twey sones, Ophym and Fynees, ben deed, and the arke of God is takun.

The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

18 And whanne he hadde nemyd the arke of God, Hely felde fro `the hiye seete bacward bisidis the dore, and `was deed; for the nollis weren brokun. For he was an eld man, and of greet age; and he demyde Israel bi fourti yeer.

As soon as the ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the city gate, and being old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. And Eli had judged Israel forty years.

19 Forsothe his douyter in lawe, `the wijf of Finees, was with childe, and niy the child bering; and whanne `the message was herd that the arke of God was takun, and that hir fadir in lawe was deed, and hir hosebonde, sche bowide hir silf, and childide; for sodeyn sorewis felden in to hir.

Now Eli’s daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news of the capture of God’s ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband, she collapsed and gave birth, for her labor pains overtook her.

20 Sotheli in that moment of hir deeth, wymmen that stoden aboute hir, seiden to hir, Drede thou not, for thou hast childid a sone. And sche answeride not to hem, for nether `sche perseyuede.

As she was dying, the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son!” But she did not respond or pay any heed.

21 And sche clepide the child Ichaboth, and seide, The glorie of the Lord is translatid fro Israel, for the arke of God is takun; and for hir fadir in lawe and for hir hosebonde sche seide,

And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.

22 The glorie of God is translatid fro Israel, for the arke of God is takun.

“The glory has departed from Israel,” she said, “for the ark of God has been captured.”