Samuel 1 4
1 Eye Samuel ƒe nya de Israel blibo gbɔ. Le ɣeyiɣi ma me la, aʋa dzɔ ɖe Israelviwo kple Filistitɔwo dome. Israel ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Ebenezer gbɔ eye Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔ nɔ Afek.
and Samuel's words were communicated to all the Israelites. The Israelites marched out to confront the Philistines in battle. They set up camp at Ebenezer, while the Philistines set up camp at Aphek.
2 Filistitɔwo ɖu Israelviwo dzi; wowu Israelvi akpe ene.
The Philistines attacked the Israelites in formation, and when the battle spread, the Philistines defeated the Israelites, killing 4,000 of them on the battlefield.
3 Esi aʋa la ke la, Israelviwo trɔ yi woƒe asaɖa me eye woƒe kplɔlawo de ŋugble tso nu si ta Yehowa na Filisitɔwo ɖu wo dzi la ŋu. Wogblɔ be, “Mina míatsɔ Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka la tso Silo ava afi sia. Ne míetsɔe yi aʋagbedzi kpli mí la, Yehowa anɔ mía dome eye wòaɖe mí tso míaƒe futɔwo si me kokoko.”
When the Israelite army returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord defeat us before Philistines today? Let's go and get the Ark of the Lord's Agreement from Shiloh, so that he can accompany us and save us from our enemies.”
4 Ale wona woyi ɖatsɔ Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe nubablaɖaka vɛ, Yehowa nɔ anyi ɖe nubablaɖaka sia ƒe Kerubiwo tame. Hofni kple Finehas, Eli viŋutsu eveawo, kplɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la ɖo yi aʋagbedzi.
So the army sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the Ark of the Lord Almighty's Agreement, he who sits on his throne between the cherubim. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were there with the Ark of the God's Agreement.
5 Esi Israelviwo kpɔ be wotsɔ Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka la gbɔnae la, woƒe dzidzɔɣli de dzi bobobo ale gbegbe be ena anyigba ʋuʋu kloe!
When the Ark of the Lord's Agreement arrived in the camp, all the Israelites gave such a loud shout it made the ground shake.
6 Filistitɔwo bia be, “Nya kae le dzɔdzɔm? Nu ka ɣlie le ɖiɖim bobobo nenema le Hebritɔwo ƒe asaɖa me?” Esi wogblɔ na wo be Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka lae va ɖo tae la,
When the Philistines heard all the shouting, they asked, “What's the meaning of this shouting in the Israelite camp?” When they found out that the Ark of the Lord had arrived in the camp,
7 dzidzi ƒo wo. Wodo ɣli be, “Mawu va ɖo woƒe asaɖa me, babaa na mí elabena míedo go nu sia tɔgbi kpɔ o!
the Philistines were afraid. “A god has arrived in the camp,” they said. “We're in trouble, for nothing like this has happened before.
8 Ame kae ate ŋu aɖe mí tso Mawu ŋusẽtɔ si me? Mawu siawo kee tsrɔ̃ Egiptetɔwo kple dɔ vɔ̃wo esime Israel nɔ gbedzi.
This is disaster for us! Who will save us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who attacked the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.
9 Oo, Filistitɔwo, miwɔ aʋa kple ŋusẽ abe ale si miewɔ kpɔ o ene, ne menye nenema o la, míazu woƒe kluviwo abe ale si wonye míaƒe kluviwo egbe ene.”
Be brave, and fight like real men, Philistines! Otherwise you'll end up as slaves to the Israelites, just as they were your slaves. Now be real men and fight!”
10 Ale Filistitɔwo wɔ aʋa kple ŋusẽ eye wogaɖu Israelviwo dzi. Wowu Israelvi akpe blaetɔ̃ gbe ma gbe eye agbetsiawo si yi woƒe agbadɔwo me.
So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated—every man ran away home. The death toll was very large: thirty thousand of the Israelite infantry were killed.
11 Filistitɔwo xɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la eye wowu Hofni kple Finehas gbe ma gbe.
The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's two sons, died.
12 Ŋutsu aɖe si tso Benyamin ƒe to la me la, ƒu du tso aʋagbedzi eye wòɖo Silo gbe ma gbe ke. Eƒe awuwo vuvu eye ʋuʋudedi nɔ tame nɛ. Nɔnɔme sia fia konyifafa le ɣe ma ɣi me.
A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battle that day all the way to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and he had dirt on his head.
13 Eli nɔ lalam le mɔto be yease nya aɖe tso aʋa la ŋu elabena etsi dzimaɖeɖi ɖe Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la ƒe dedinɔnɔ ŋu. Esime ame dɔdɔ la tso aʋagbedzi va gblɔ nya si dzɔ la, ameawo fa avi hoo le du blibo la me.
When he arrived, Eli was sitting there on his chair by the road, watching out for news because he was worried about the Ark of God. When the man came into town and gave his report, the whole town cried out loud.
14 Eli bia be, “Nu kae na amewo le avi fam hoo alea?” Ame dɔdɔ la te ɖe Eli ŋu enumake eye wòka nya la ta nɛ.
Eli heard the crying and asked, “What's all this noise?” The man rushed over to Eli and told him what had happened.
15 Azɔ Eli xɔ ƒe blaasiekɛ-vɔ-enyi eye eƒe ŋkuwo megale nu kpɔm nyuie o.
Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were fixed because he couldn't see.
16 Ame dɔdɔ la gblɔ na Eli be, “Mede aʋagbe la dzi egbe, fifi laa koe mesi trɔ gbɔ.” Eli biae be, “Nu kae dzɔ, Vinye ɖe?”
“I've just come from the battle,” the man said. “I ran away from it today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked.
17 Ame dɔdɔ la ɖo eŋu be, “Woɖu Israelviwo dzi eye wowu Israelvi geɖewo, wowu viwò eveawo, Hofni kple Finehas hã eye woxɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la hã.”
“Israel ran away from the Philistines—we were badly defeated,” the messenger replied. “Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed, and the Ark of God has been captured.”
18 Esi ame dɔdɔ la gblɔ nya si dzɔ ɖe Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la dzi ko la, Eli mu le eƒe zikpui dzi, dze anyi ɖe megbe le eƒe agbo la nu. Etɔ kɔ anyi eye wòku elabena etsi eye wònye ame lolo hã. Edrɔ̃ ʋɔnu na Israel ƒe blaene hafi ku.
As soon as the Ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the town gate. Since he was old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. Eli had been Israel's leader for forty years.
19 Esi Eli ƒe toyɔvi, Finehas srɔ̃, ame si nye funɔ la se be woxɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la eye ye srɔ̃, Finehas kple ye to, Eli ku la, fu de asi eɖuɖu me enumake.
His daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news that the Ark of God had been captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth, but her labor pains were too strong.
20 Aɖabaƒoƒo ʋɛ aɖewo do ŋgɔ na eƒe ku la, nyɔnu siwo nɔ egbɔ la gblɔ nɛ be edzi viŋutsuvi, ke womegblɔ nya boo aɖeke o.
Just before she died, the women caring for her said, “Don't give up—you have given birth to a son!” But she didn't answer or give any response.
21 Ena ŋkɔ ŋutsuvi la be, “Ikabod” si gɔmee nye “Israel ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe nu tso.” Elabena woxɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la eye srɔ̃a kple toa siaa ku.
She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has left Israel,” because Ark of God had been captured, and her father-in-law and her husband had died.
22 Egblɔ be, “Israel ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe nu tso elabena woxɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la.”
She said, “The glory has left Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
