1 Samuel 4
1 Okwu Samuel rutere ndị Izrel niile ntị. Mgbe Izrel pụrụ izute ndị Filistia nʼagha, ha mara ụlọ ikwu ha na Ebeneza, ma ndị Filistia mara nke ha nʼAfek.
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 Nʼagha a lụrụ nʼụbọchị ahụ, ndị Filistia doro onwe ha nʼusoro izute ndị Izrel, dịka agha na-agbasa, ndị Filistia lụgburu ụmụ Izrel, gbukwaa puku mmadụ anọ nʼime ha.
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 Mgbe ndị agha Izrel fọdụrụ laghachiri nʼụlọ ikwu ha, ndị okenye Izrel jụrịtara onwe ha sị, “Gịnị mere Onyenwe anyị ji kwe ka ndị Filistia merie anyị taa. Ka anyị gaa Shaịlo buputa igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị, ka o soro anyị jee agha, ka ọ napụta anyị site nʼaka ndị iro anyị.”
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 Ya mere, ha zigara ndị mmadụ ka ha gaa Shaịlo. Ha sitere nʼebe ahụ bute igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, onye ahụ na-anọkwasị nʼoche ebere nʼetiti cherubim. Ụmụ ndị ikom Elayị abụọ, bụ Hofni na Finehaz, nọnyeere igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke ahụ.
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 Mgbe e bubatara igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị ahụ nʼebe ndị agha Izrel mara ụlọ ikwu ha, ndị Izrel tiri mkpu mere ka ala maa jijiji.
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 Mgbe ndị Filistia nụrụ ụda mkpu a, ha jụrụ sị, “Gịnị na-eme? Ọ bụ gịnị kpatara oke iti mkpu a nʼụlọ ikwu ndị Hibru?” Mgbe a gwara ha na ọ bụ nʼihi na igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị erutela,
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 ụjọ tụrụ ndị Filistia. Ha sịrị, “Chi abatala nʼọmụma ụlọ ikwu ahụ. Ahụhụ dịrị anyị nʼihi na ihe dị otu a emetụbeghị nʼoge gara aga.
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 Ahụhụ dịrị anyị! Onye ga-anapụta anyị site nʼaka chi ndị a dị ike? Nʼihi na ọ bụ chi ndị a ji ihe otiti dị iche iche tie ndị Ijipt mgbe ụmụ Izrel nọ nʼọzara.
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 Unu dị ike, unu ndị Filistia, bụrụkwanụ ndị ikom, ma ọ bụghị otu a, unu ga-aghọ ohu ndị Hibru dịka ha bụụrụ unu ndị ohu. Bụrụnụ ndị ikom, lụọ agha!”
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 Ndị Filistia lụrụ ọgụ dịka dike, lụgbuo ndị Izrel. Ndị agha ji ụkwụ eje ọgụ ọnụọgụgụ ha dị iri puku atọ nwụrụ nʼotu ụbọchị ahụ. Ma ndị fọdụrụ gbalara nʼụlọ ikwu ha.
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 Ndị Filistia dọtara igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke nʼagha, ma gbukwaa Hofni na Finehaz ụmụ Elayị.
The Ark of God was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's two sons, died.
12 Ma otu nwoke onye Benjamin gbapụrụ ọsọ site nʼọgbọ agha ahụ, gbara ruo Shaịlo nʼotu ụbọchị ahụ, o yi uwe dọwara adọwa, aja dịkwa ya nʼisi.
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 Mgbe o rutere, Elayị nọ nʼoche ya nʼakụkụ ụzọ, na-eche, nʼihi na obi ya na-ama jijiji, nʼihi igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke. Mgbe nwoke ahụ batara nʼime obodo, kọọ ihe mere, mkpu akwa dara nʼobodo ahụ niile.
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 Elayị nụrụ iti mkpu ahụ jụọ sị, “Gịnị bụ isi ụzụ a?” Onyeozi ahụ mere ngwangwa bata gwa Elayị okwu.
Eli heard the crying and asked, “What's all this noise?” The man rushed over to Eli and told him what had happened.
15 Elayị agbaala iri afọ itoolu na afọ asatọ nʼoge a, nke mere na ọ naghị ahụkwa ụzọ.
Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were fixed because he couldn't see.
16 Nwoke ahụ gwara Elayị sị, “Esi m nʼihu agha gbalata. Anọ m nʼebe ahụ taa hụ ka agha si gaa.” Elayị jụrụ sị, “Nwa m, ọ bụ gịnị mere?”
“I've just come from the battle,” the man said. “I ran away from it today.” “What happened, my son?” Eli asked.
17 Onyeozi ahụ zara sị, “Izrel sitere nʼihu ndị Filistia gbaa ọsọ. E tigbukwara ọtụtụ nʼime ndị agha ha. Ọzọ, ụmụ gị abụọ, Hofni na Finehaz nwụrụ. E burukwara igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke.”
“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 Mgbe onyeozi ahụ kwutere maka igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke. Elayị sitere nʼoche ya dalaa azụ nʼakụkụ ọnụ ụzọ ama, dajie olu ya, nwụọ! Nʼihi na o meela nnọọ agadi. Ọ bụkwa onye buru ibu. Ya onwe ya kpekwara ụmụ Izrel ikpe iri afọ anọ.
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 Nwunye nwa ya, bụ nwunye Finehaz, dị ime, nọọkwa nso oge ịmụ nwa ya. Mgbe ọ nụrụ maka obubu e buuru igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke, nụkwa maka ọnwụ nna di ya na di ya, ọ mụpụtara nwa ya nʼike. Ma ọ nwụrụ nʼihi ihe mgbu nke afọ ime.
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 Ma mgbe ọ na-anwụ, ndị inyom na-eji ya ime, sịrị ya, “Atụla egwu, adala mba, ị mụọla nwa nwoke.” Ma ọ zaghị ha ihe ọbụla. Ọ ṅakwaghị ha ntị.
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 Ọ gụrụ nwantakịrị aha, kpọọ ya Ịkabọdụ, kwuo sị, “Ebube esitela nʼIzrel pụọ,” nʼihi obubu e buuru igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Chineke, na nʼihi ọnwụ nna di ya na di ya.
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 O kwuru sị, “Ebube esitela nʼIzrel pụọ, nʼihi na e buuru igbe Chineke.”
She said, “The glory has left Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured.”
