1 Samuele 4
1 Mpe Samuele azalaki kokomisa maloba ya Yawe epai ya bato nyonso ya Isalaele. Na tango wana, bato ya Isalaele bakendeki kobundisa bato ya Filisitia. Bato ya Isalaele batongaki molako na bango na Ebeni-Ezeri, mpe bato ya Filisitia batongaki ya bango molako, na Afeki.
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 Bato ya Filisitia batandamaki mpo na kobundisa bato ya Isalaele. Mpe wana bitumba ekomaki makasi, bato ya Filisitia balongaki bato ya Isalaele mpe babomaki na bitumba yango basoda ya Isalaele, pene nkoto minei.
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 Tango basoda ya Isalaele bazongaki na molako, bampaka ya Isalaele batunaki: — Mpo na nini Yawe asali ete bato ya Filisitia balonga biso na mokolo ya lelo? Tokende kozwa Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Yawe, na Silo, mpo ete eya kati na biso mpe ekangola biso na maboko ya banguna na biso.
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 Boye batindaki bato na Silo. Mpe longwa kuna, bamemaki Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga, oyo avandaka na kiti na Ye ya bokonzi kati na basheribe. Ofini mpe Fineasi, bana mibali mibale ya Eli, bazalaki wana elongo na Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Nzambe.
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 Tango kaka Sanduku ya Boyokani ya Yawe ekotaki na molako, bato nyonso ya Isalaele bagangaki na mongongo makasi, mpe mabele eninganaki.
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 Bato ya Filisitia bayokaki koganga wana mpe batunaki: — Koganga nyonso wana elakisi nini kati na molako ya Ba-Ebre? Wana bayokaki sango ete Sanduku ya Yawe ekoti kati na molako,
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 bato ya Filisitia babangaki mpe balobaki: — Eh, tobebi na biso! Nzambe akoti na molako! Likambo ya boye nanu esalema te!
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 Mawa na biso! Nani akokangola biso na maboko ya Nzambe oyo ya nguya? Ezali Nzambe wana nde abomaki bato ya Ejipito na nzela ya bitumbu ya ndenge na ndenge kati na esobe.
(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 Bandeko bato ya Filisitia, boyika mpiko! Bozala mibali, noki te bokokoma bawumbu ya Ba-Ebre ndenge bango bazalaki bawumbu na bino! Bozala mibali mpe bobunda!
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 Boye bato ya Filisitia babundisaki bato ya Isalaele mpe balongaki. Moto nyonso akimaki na ndako na ye ya kapo. Kokweyisama ya bato ya Isalaele ezalaki ya makasi penza: motango ya basoda ya Isalaele, oyo babundaka na makolo mpe bakufaki ezalaki nkoto tuku misato.
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 Bato ya Filisitia babotolaki Sanduku ya Nzambe, mpe bana mibali mibale ya Eli, Ofini mpe Fineasi, bakufaki.
The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
12 Moto moko ya ekolo ya Benjame akimaki mbangu longwa na bisika oyo bazalaki kobunda mpe akomaki na Silo, na mokolo yango kaka; azalaki na bilamba epasuka, mpe na putulu, na moto na ye.
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 Akomaki na tango oyo Eli azalaki ya kovanda na kiti, pembeni ya nzela, mpe azalaki kotala na ekenge, pamba te motema na ye ezalaki na kimia te na tina na Sanduku ya Nzambe. Bongo tango moto yango akotaki na engumba mpe apesaki sango ya makambo nyonso oyo ewutaki kosalema, engumba mobimba egangaki.
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 Tango Eli ayokaki koganga yango, atunaki: — Makelele oyo elakisi nini? Mpe moto yango ayaki na lombangu kopesa sango epai ya Eli.
Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.
15 Nzokande Eli azalaki na mibu tuku libwa na mwambe ya mbotama; miso na ye elembaki makasi, akokaki komona lisusu te.
At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.
16 Alobaki na Eli: — Nawuti na esika ya bitumba, nawuti kokima kuna kaka lelo. Eli atunaki ye: — Mwana na ngai, makambo nini eleki kuna?
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 Moto oyo amemaki sango azongisaki: — Bato ya Isalaele bakimi liboso ya bato ya Filisitia, mpe ebele kati na bango bakufi; ezala bana na yo mibale ya mibali, Ofini mpe Fineasi, bakufi. Bato ya Filisitia babotoli Sanduku ya Nzambe.
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 Tango kaka moto wana atangaki kombo ya Sanduku ya Nzambe, Eli akweyaki makalikali longwa na kiti na ye, pembeni ya ekuke ya Ndako ya Yawe, kingo na ye ebukanaki, mpe akufaki, pamba te azalaki mobange mpe nzoto minene. Akambaki Isalaele mibu tuku minei.
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 Bokilo na ye ya mwasi, mwasi ya Fineasi, azalaki na zemi mpe akomaki pembeni ya kobota. Tango kaka ayokaki sango ete babotoli Sanduku ya Nzambe, ete tata-bokilo na ye mpe mobali na ye bakufi, agunzamaki, abandaki mbala moko pasi ya kobota, mpe abotaki.
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 Lokola akomaki pene ya kokufa, basi oyo bazingelaki ye balobaki na ye: — Kobanga te! Oboti mwana mobali! Kasi ye apesaki eyano moko te mpe atiaki makanisi na ye kuna te.
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 Apesaki mwana yango kombo « I-Kabodi » oyo elingi kolakisa: Nkembo elongwe na Isalaele! Atiaki makanisi na ye na Sanduku ya Nzambe, oyo babotoli, na tata-bokilo na ye mpe na mobali na ye, oyo bakufi.
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 Alobaki: « Nkembo elongwe na Isalaele, pamba te babotoli Sanduku ya Nzambe. »
She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.
