< 1 Samũeli 4 >

1 Na rĩrĩ, andũ a Isiraeli nĩmoimagarire makarũe na Afilisti. Andũ a Isiraeli makĩamba hema ciao kũu Ebeni-Ezeri, nao Afilisti makĩamba ciao kũu Afeku.
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.
2 Afilisti magĩtũma ita rĩao rĩgacemanie na Isiraeli, na o ũrĩa mbaara yathiiaga na mbere-rĩ, noguo Isiraeli maahootagwo nĩ Afilisti, arĩa mooragire andũ ta 4,000 kũu maarũagĩra.
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.
3 Rĩrĩa mbũtũ ciacookire kambĩ-inĩ-rĩ, athuuri a Isiraeli makĩũria atĩrĩ, “Jehova atũma tũhootwo nĩ Afilisti ũmũthĩ nĩkĩ? Nĩ tũgĩĩrei ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova kuuma Shilo, nĩgeetha tũthiĩ narĩo rĩtũhonokie kuuma moko-inĩ ma thũ ciitũ.”
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!”
4 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio magĩtũma andũ kũu Shilo, nao makĩrehe ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, ũrĩa ũikarĩire gĩtĩ kĩa ũnene gatagatĩ ka makerubi. Nao ariũ eerĩ a Eli, Hofini na Finehasi, maarĩ hamwe na ithandũkũ rĩu rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Ngai.
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.
5 Rĩrĩa ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova rĩakinyire kambĩ-inĩ-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli othe makiugĩrĩria na mũgambo mũnene o nginya thĩ ĩkĩinaina.
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!
6 Na rĩrĩa Afilisti maaiguire mbugĩrĩrio ĩyo makĩũrania atĩrĩ, “Mbugĩrĩrio ĩyo ĩrĩ kambĩ-inĩ ya Ahibirania nĩ ya kĩĩ?” Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa maamenyire atĩ nĩ ithandũkũ rĩa Jehova rĩakinyĩte kambĩ-inĩ-rĩ,
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.
7 Afilisti magĩĩtigĩra makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ngai nĩyũkĩte kambĩ-inĩ, ithuĩ tũrĩ thĩĩna-inĩ! Gũtirĩ kuoneka ũndũ ta ũyũ mbere ĩno.
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!
8 Wũi-ĩiya-witũ-ĩ! Nũũ ũgũtũhonokia moko-inĩ ma ngai ici irĩ hinya ũũ? Ici nĩcio ngai iria ciahũũrire andũ a Misiri na mĩthiro ya mĩthemba yothe werũ-inĩ.
(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.
9 Mwĩyũmĩrĩriei, Afilisti aya! Tuĩkai arũme ki, kana mũtuo ngombo cia Ahibirania, ta ũrĩa matũire marĩ ngombo cianyu. Tuĩkai arũme ki, na mũrũe!”
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!”
10 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Afilisti makĩrũa nao, na andũ a Isiraeli makĩhootwo, nake o mũndũ akĩũrĩra hema-inĩ yake. Nayo njũragano yarĩ nene mũno; thigari cia Isiraeli ngiri mĩrongo ĩtatũ iria ciathiiaga na magũrũ ikĩũragwo.
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.
11 Narĩo ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai rĩgĩtahwo, nao ariũ eerĩ a Eli, Hofini na Finehasi, magĩkua.
The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
12 Mũthenya o ro ũcio Mũbenjamini ũmwe akĩhanyũka oimĩte mbaara-inĩ, agĩthiĩ nginya Shilo, nguo ciake irĩ ndembũkangu na aarĩ na tĩĩri mũtwe.
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].
13 Na rĩrĩa aakinyire-rĩ, agĩkora Eli aikarĩire gĩtĩ gĩake mũkĩra-inĩ wa njĩra, acũthĩrĩirie, tondũ ngoro yake yarĩ na guoya nĩ ũndũ wa ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai. Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ũcio aatoonyire itũũra-inĩ, na akĩheana ũhoro ũrĩa gwekĩkĩte-rĩ, itũũra rĩothe rĩgĩkayũrũrũka.
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.
14 Rĩrĩa Eli aiguire mũkayũrũrũko ũcio akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Gĩtũmi kĩa inegene rĩu nĩ kĩĩ?” Nake mũndũ ũcio agĩthiĩ narua harĩ Eli,
Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.
15 ũrĩa warĩ na ũkũrũ wa mĩaka mĩrongo kenda na ĩnana, ũrĩa maitho make moorĩte, akaagaga kuona.
At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.
16 Akĩĩra Eli atĩrĩ, “No hĩndĩ ndooka nyumĩte mbaara-inĩ; ndoora kuuma kuo o ũmũthĩ.” Eli akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa gwĩkĩkire mũrũ wakwa?”
The messenger said to Eli, “I have just come from where the armies were fighting. I left there earlier today.” Eli asked, “What happened?”
17 Mũndũ ũcio warehire ũhoro agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Andũ a Isiraeli nĩmoorĩire Afilisti, nayo mbũtũ ya ita nĩyũragĩtwo mũno. O na ariũ aku eerĩ, Hofini na Finehasi, nĩ akuũ, narĩo ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai nĩitahe.”
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.”
18 Rĩrĩa aagwetire ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai, Eli akĩgũa na ngara oimĩte gĩtĩ-inĩ gĩake hau mwena-inĩ wa kĩhingo. Ngingo yake ĩkiunĩka, agĩkua, nĩ ũndũ aarĩ mũndũ mũkũrũ na akaritũha. Aatongoretie Isiraeli mĩaka mĩrongo ĩna.
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.
19 Mũtumia wa mũriũ wake Finehasi aarĩ na nda na aatigĩtie hanini aciare. Na rĩrĩa aaiguire ũhoro ũcio wa atĩ ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai nĩrĩtahĩtwo, na atĩ iciciarawe hamwe na mũthuuriwe nĩmakuĩte-rĩ, akĩnyiitwo nĩ ruo rwa kũrũmwo na agĩciara, no agĩtoorio nĩ ruo rwa gũciara.
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.
20 Na rĩrĩa aakuaga, atumia arĩa maamũteithagĩrĩria makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Tiga gũkua ngoro; nĩwaciara kahĩĩ.” No ndaacookirie ũndũ o na kana kũrũmbũiya ũhoro o na ũrĩkũ.
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.
21 Nake agĩtua kahĩĩ kau Ikabodu, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Riiri nĩweherete Isiraeli,” nĩ ũndũ wa ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai gũtahwo, na gũkua gwa iciciarawe na mũthuuriwe.
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.
22 Akiuga atĩrĩ, “Riiri nĩweherete ũkoima Isiraeli, nĩ ũndũ ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai nĩrĩtahĩtwo.”
She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.

< 1 Samũeli 4 >