< 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.
The word of Samuel came to all of Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They set up camp at Ebenezer, and the Philistines set up camp at Aphek.
2 Filistitɔwo ɖu Israelviwo dzi; wowu Israelvi akpe ene.
The Philistines lined up for battle against Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle.
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 people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Yahweh here from Shiloh, that it may be here with us, that it might keep us safe from the hands of 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 people sent men to Shiloh; from there they carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts, who sits above the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
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 covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all of the people of Israel gave a great shout, and the earth resounded.
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 the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they realized that the ark of Yahweh had come into 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; they said, “A god has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! 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.
Woe to us! Who will protect us from the strength of these mighty gods? These are the gods who attacked the Egyptians with many different 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.”
Take courage, and be men, you Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you. Be 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.
The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated. Every man fled to his house, and the slaughter was very great; for thirty thousand foot soldiers from Israel fell.
11 Filistitɔwo xɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la eye wowu Hofni kple Finehas gbe ma gbe.
The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, 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 of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, arriving with his clothes torn and earth 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 on his seat by the road watching because his heart trembled with concern for the ark of God. When the man entered the city and told the news, the whole city cried out.
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.
When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What is the meaning of this uproar?” The man quickly came and told Eli.
15 Azɔ Eli xɔ ƒe blaasiekɛ-vɔ-enyi eye eƒe ŋkuwo megale nu kpɔm nyuie o.
Now Eli was ninety-eight years old; his eyes did not focus, and he could not 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?”
The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. I fled from the battle today.” Eli said, “How did it go, my son?”
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.”
The man who brought the news answered and said, “Israel fled from the Philistines. Also, there has been a great defeat among the people. Also, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.”
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.
When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate. His neck was broken, and he died, because he was old and heavy. He had judged Israel 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.
Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant and about to give birth. When she heard the news that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she knelt down and gave birth, but her labor pains overwhelmed her.
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.
About the time of her death the women attending to her said, “Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or take what they said to heart.
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 child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has gone away from Israel!” for the ark of God had been captured, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 Egblɔ be, “Israel ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe nu tso elabena woxɔ Mawu ƒe nubablaɖaka la.”
She said, “The glory has gone away from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”

< Samuel 1 4 >