1 Samuel 4

1 Saa bere no, na Israelfo ne Filistifo reko. Israelfo nsraadɔm kyeree nsraban wɔ Ebeneser, na Filistifo nso kyeree nsraban wɔ Afek.

And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered themselves together against Israel to war; and Israel went out to meet them and encamped at Abenezer, and the Philistines encamped in Aphec.

2 Filistifo no tow hyɛɛ Israelfo nsraadɔm no so, dii wɔn so nkonim, na wokum nnipa mpem anan.

And the Philistines prepare to fight with Israel, and the battle was turned against them; and the men of Israel fell before the Philistines, and there were struck in the battle in the field four thousand men.

3 Ɔko no baa awiei, na Israel nsraadɔm no san kɔɔ wɔn nsraban mu hɔ no, Israel mpanyimfo no bisae se, “Adɛn nti na Awurade ama yɛadi nkogu nnɛ yi wɔ Filistifo anim yi? Momma yɛnkɔfa Awurade Apam Adaka no mfi Silo. Sɛ yɛde kɔ ɔsa a, ebegye yɛn afi yɛn atamfo nsam.”

And the people came to the camp, and the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord caused us to fall this day before the Philistines? let us take the ark of our God out of Selom, and let it proceed from the midst of us, and it shall save us from the hand of our enemies.

4 Enti nnipa no somaa mmarima kɔɔ Silo, na wɔde Asafo Awurade a ɔte kerubim ntam Apam Adaka no bae. Saa bere no na Eli mmabarima baanu Hofni ne Pinehas ka wɔn a wɔsoaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no kɔɔ akono hɔ no ho.

And the people sent to Selom, and they take thence the ark of the Lord who dwells between the cherubs: and both the sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, [were] with the ark.

5 Bere a Israelfo no huu sɛ wɔde Awurade Apam Adaka no reba nsraban no mu no, wɔn nyinaa bɔɔ ose maa asase wosowee.

And it came to pass when the ark of the Lord entered into the camp, that all Israel cried out with a loud voice, and the earth resounded.

6 Filistifo no bisae se, “Dɛn na ɛrekɔ so yi? Dɛn osebɔ na ɛwɔ Hebrifo nsraban mu hɔ yi?” Wɔtee sɛ Awurade Apam Adaka no na abedu nsraban mu hɔ no,

And the Philistines heard the cry, and the Philistines said, What [is] this great cry in the camp of the Hebrews: and they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp.

7 wosuroe. Na wɔkae se, “Anyame no aba wɔn nsraban mu hɔ. Ɛno de, asɛm ato yɛn! Yenhyiaa asɛm a ɛte sɛɛ bi da.

And the Philistines feared, and said, These are the Gods that are come to them into the camp.

8 Hena na obegye yɛn afi saa Israel anyame atumfo yi nsam? Wɔne anyame a wɔde owu ɔyare ahorow nyinaa bi sɛee Misraimfo, bere a Israelfo wɔ sare so hɔ no.

Woe to us, O Lord, deliver us today for such a thing has not happened aforetime: woe to us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these [are] the Gods that struck Egypt with every plague, and in the wilderness.

9 Monyere mo ho, Filistifo! Munnyina sɛ mmarima; anyɛ saa a, Hebrifo no bɛfa mo nkoa sɛnea wɔyɛɛ yɛn nkoa no.”

Strengthen yourselves and behave yourselves like men, O you Philistines, that you may not serve the Hebrews as they have served us, but be you men and fight with them.

10 Enti Filistifo no koe anibere so, dii Israelfo no so bio. Wɔn a wokunkum wɔn no dɔɔso. Israelfo mpem aduasa na wokunkum wɔn da no. Wɔn a wonyaa wɔn ti didii mu no guan kɔɔ wɔn ntamadan mu.

And they fought with them; and the men of Israel fall, and they fled every man to his ten; and there was a very great slaughter; and there fell of Israel thirty thousand fighting men.

11 Wɔfaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no, na wokunkum Eli mmabarima baanu no, Hofni ne Pinehas.

And the ark of God was taken, and both the sons of Heli, Ophni, and Phinees, died.

12 Da no ara, ɔbarima bi fi Benyamin abusua mu guan fii akono hɔ beduu Silo. Na watetew ne ntade mu, de mfutuma ahura ne ti mu, de kyerɛ nʼawerɛhow.

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the battle, and he came to Selom on that day: and his clothes [were] tore, and earth [was] upon his head.

13 Na Eli retwɛn wɔ kwankyɛn baabi, pɛ sɛ ɔte ɔko no mu nsɛm, efisɛ na ne bo ntɔ ne yam koraa wɔ Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ho. Ɔbɔfo no ba bɛkaa asɛm a asi no, wɔtee nteɛteɛmu bi wɔ kurow no mu nyinaa.

And he came, an behold, Heli was upon the seat by the gate looking along the way, for his heart was greatly alarmed for the ark of God: and the man entered into the city to bring tidings; and the city cried out.

14 Eli bisae se, “Saa nteɛteɛmu yi ase ne dɛn?” Ɔbɔfo no yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli,

And Heli heard the sound of the cry, and said, What [is] the voice of this cry? and the men hasted and went in, and reported to Heli.

15 a na wadi mfe aduɔkron awotwe na nʼani afura no nkyɛn.

Now Heli [was] ninety years old, and his eyes were fixed, and he saw not.

16 Ɔka kyerɛɛ Eli se, “Mprempren ara na mifi akono hɔ bae. Nnɛ yi ara, na mewɔ hɔ.” Eli bisae se, “Na ekosii dɛn?”

And Heli said to them that stood round about him, What [is] the voice of this sound? And the man hasted and advanced to Heli, and said to him, I am he that is come out of the camp, and I have fled from the battle today: and Heli said, What [is] the even, [my] son?

17 Ɔbɔfo no buae se, “Israelfo adi nkogu. Israel nsraadɔm no mpem mpem atotɔ wɔ akono hɔ. Afei, wo mmabarima baanu a ɛyɛ Hofni ne Pinehas no nso awuwu, na Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no nso, wɔafa.”

And they young man answered and said, The men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and there was a great slaughter among the people, and both your sons are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18 Ɔbɔfo no kaa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no ho asɛm ara pɛ, Eli fi akongua a ɔte so mu wɔ abɔntenpon ho no te hwee nʼakyi. Ne kɔn mu bui, efisɛ na wabɔ akwakoraa a ne mu nso yɛ duru. Na wadi Israel anim mfirihyia aduanan.

And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from the seat backward near the gate, and his back was broken, and he died, for [he was] an old man and heavy: and he judged Israel twenty years.

19 Saa bere no na nʼasebea a ɔyɛ Pinehas yere anyinsɛn a ɔreyɛ awo. Ɔtee sɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no, na nʼase ne ne kunu awuwu no, awo kaa no amono mu hɔ ara.

And his daughter-in-law the wife of Phinees [was] with child, [about] to bring forth; and she heard the tidings, that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead; and she wept and was delivered, for her pains came upon her.

20 Owuu wɔ awoko mu, nanso ansa na ɔrebewu no, mmea a wɔregye no awo no kae se, “Mpa abaw; woawo abarimaa.” Nanso wammua wɔn na wankasa wɔn ho nso.

And in her time she was at the point of death; and the women that stood by her, said to her, Fear not, for you have born a son: but she answered not, and her heart did not regard it.

21 Ɔbesebesee nʼano too abarimaa no din Ikabod, “Anuonyam no wɔ he, Israel anuonyam no asa,” efisɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no na nʼase ne ne kunu nso awuwu.

And she called the child Uaebarchaboth, because of the ark of God, and because of her father-in-law, and because of her husband.

22 Ɔkae se, “Anuonyam afi Israel mu, efisɛ wɔafa Onyankopɔn Apam Adaka no.”

And they said, The glory of Israel is departed, forasmuch as the ark of the Lord is taken.