1 Samwiri 4
1 Awo ekigambo kya Samwiri ne kibuna Isirayiri yenna. Mu biro ebyo Abayisirayiri ne balumba Abafirisuuti, Abayisirayiri ne basiisira okumpi ne Ebenezeri, ate nga Abafirisuuti bo basiisidde mu 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 Abafirisuuti ne basimba ennyiriri okulumba Abayisirayiri ne bayungula eggye lyabwe okulumba; olutalo bwe lwanyiinyiitira, Abayisirayiri ne bawangulibwa, era enkumi nnya ku bo ne battibwa.
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 Abalwanyi bwe baddayo mu nkambi, abakadde ba Isirayiri ne beebuuzaganya nti, “Lwaki Mukama alese Abafirisuuti okutuwangula leero? Tuleete essanduuko ya Mukama ey’endagaano okuva e Siiro, tugende nayo etuwonye amaanyi g’abalabe baffe.”
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 Awo abantu ne batuma abasajja e Siiro, ne baggyayo essanduuko ey’endagaano ya Mukama Ayinzabyonna, atudde ku ntebe ye ey’obwakabaka wakati mu bakerubi. Batabani ba Eri bombi, Kofuni ne Finekaasi nabo ne bagenda n’essanduuko ya Katonda ey’endagaano.
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 Essanduuko ya Mukama ey’endagaano bwe yatuuka mu nkambi ey’Abayisirayiri, bonna ne baleekaanira waggulu mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka, n’ettaka ne liyuuguuma.
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 Awo Abafirisuuti bwe baawulira oluyoogaano ne beebuuza nti, “Oluyoogaano olwo lwonna mu nkambi ey’Abaebbulaniya lutegeeza ki?” Bwe baategeera nti essanduuko ya Mukama ereeteddwa mu nkambi,
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 Abafirisuuti ne batya. Ne boogera nti, “Lubaale azze mu nkambi. Tufudde! Tewabangawo kigambo ekifaanana bwe kityo.
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 Zitusanze! Ani ayinza okutuwonya balubaale bano ab’amaanyi? Bano be balubaale abaabonyaabonya Abamisiri n’endwadde n’ebibonoobono ebya buli ngeri mu ddungu.
(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 Abafirisuuti, mugume omwoyo, mube basajja. Bwe kitaabe bwe kityo munaaba baddu b’Abaebbulaniya nga bo bwe babadde abaweereza bammwe. Mube basajja mulwane.”
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 Abafirisuuti ne beerwanako ne bawangula Abayisirayiri. Buli Muyisirayiri n’addukira mu nsiisira ye. Ne waba okuttibwa kunene nnyo, Abayisirayiri ne bafiirwa abaserikale abaatambuzanga ebigere emitwalo esatu.
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 Essanduuko ya Katonda n’ewambibwa, era ne batabani ba Eri bombi, Kofuni ne Finekaasi ne battibwa.
The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
12 Olunaku lwe lumu ne wabaawo omusajja Omubenyamini eyava mu lutalo n’adduka okutuuka e Siiro, ng’ayuzizza engoye ze n’omutwe gwe nga gujjudde enfuufu.
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 Bwe yatuuka, Eri yali atudde mu ntebe ye ku mabbali g’ekkubo ng’atunula, nga yeeraliikiridde olw’essanduuko ya Katonda. Omusajja bwe yatuuka mu kibuga n’asaasaanya amawulire ku ebyo ebibaddewo, ekibuga kyonna ne kikuba ebiwoobe.
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 Eri bwe yawulira oluyoogaano n’abuuza nti, “Oluyoogaano luno luva ku ki?” Omusajja n’ayanguwa n’atuuka awaali Eri n’amutegeeza.
Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.
15 Eri yali aweza emyaka egy’obukulu kyenda mu munaana, amaaso ge nga gayimbadde, era nga n’okulaba takyalaba.
At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.
16 Omusajja oyo n’ategeeza Eri nti, “Naakava mu lutalo, era nziruseeyo leero.” Eri n’amubuuza nti, “Bigenze bitya mwana wange?”
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 Omusajja eyaleeta amawulire n’amuddamu nti, “Isirayiri edduse Abafirisuuti, era eggye lyaffe lifiiriddwa abalwanyi bangi. Ate ne batabani bo bombi Kofuni ne Finekaasi battiddwa, era n’essanduuko ya Katonda ewambiddwa.”
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 Olwayogera ku ssanduuko ya Katonda, Eri n’asirituka okuva ku ntebe ye n’agwa okumpi n’omulyango. Ensingo ye n’emenyeka n’afiirawo kubanga yali musajja mukadde nnyo ate nga n’obuzito muzito. Yali akulembedde Isirayiri okumala emyaka amakumi ana.
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 Mu kiseera ekyo muka mwana we, Finekaasi, yali lubuto era ng’anaatera okuzaala. Bwe yawulira amawulire nti Essanduuko ya Katonda ewambiddwa era nti ne ssezaala we ne bba bafudde, n’alumwa era n’azaalirawo, kubanga obulumi bwamuyitirirako.
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 Omukazi oyo bwe yali ng’anaatera okufa, abamuzaalisa ne bamugamba nga boogera nti, “Totya, kubanga ozadde mulenzi.” Naye n’atabaanukula wadde okubassaako omwoyo.
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 N’atuuma omwana erinnya Ikabodi, amakulu gaalyo nti, “Ekitiibwa kivudde ku Isirayiri,” kubanga essanduuko ya Katonda yali ewambiddwa ate nga ssezaala we ne bba bafudde.
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 N’ayogera nti, “Ekitiibwa kivudde ku Isirayiri kubanga essanduuko ya Katonda ewambiddwa.”
She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.
