1 Samuel 4

And Samuel’s word came to all Israel.

The Philistines Capture the Ark

Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.

Onyankopɔn nam n’adom so de saa asɛm yi abrɛ yɛn na ɛno nti, ɛmma yɛn koma ntu.

The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.

Yɛagyae kokoamusɛm ne aniwudeyɛ nyinaa. Yɛnnaadaa na yentwa Onyankopɔn asɛm no ho nkontompo. Yɛnnaadaa obi mma onnye nea Kyerɛwsɛm no nkae nni. Yegyae saa aniwudesɛm no nyinaa. Yegyina Onyankopɔn anim kasa enti yɛka nokware ma wɔn a wonim yɛn no nyinaa gye di.

When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

Sɛ Asɛmpa a yɛka no yɛ ahintasɛm a, ɛyɛ ahintasɛm ma wɔn a wɔreyera.

So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

Wonnye nni, efisɛ, ɔbonsam asɛe wɔn adwene. Ɔtwe wɔn fi hann a ɛtow gu wɔn so no ho; hann a efi Asɛmpa no mu a ɛfa Kristo a ɔte sɛ Onyankopɔn anuonyam no ho no.

When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook.

Ɛnyɛ yɛn ankasa ho na yɛka asɛm no fa. Yɛka Yesu Kristo ho asɛm sɛ ɔno ne Awurade no na yɛn nso Yesu nti, yɛyɛ mo asomfo.

Hearing the uproar, the Philistines asked, “What’s all this shouting in the Hebrew camp?”

When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp,

Onyankopɔn a ɔkae se, “Esum mu na hann fi ba” no, yɛ Onyankopɔn koro no ara a ɔma ne hann hyerɛn wɔ yɛn koma mu na ama yɛanya Onyankopɔn anuonyam ho nimdeɛ a ɛhran wɔ Kristo anim no.

the Philistines were afraid. “A god has^[a] come into the camp,” they said. “Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before.

Nanso yɛn a yɛwɔ saa honhom mu agyapade yi te sɛ nkuku na ɛnam so da no adi sɛ tumi kɛse no fi Onyankopɔn na emfi yɛn.

We’re doomed! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? They are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

Wɔtaa haw yɛn nanso wɔnyam yɛn; ɛtɔ da bi a, yɛn adwene nsi yɛn pi nanso yɛmpa abaw;

Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!”

atamfo dɔɔso nanso yɛwɔ adamfo, na ɛtɔ da bi a, wopira yɛn, nanso ɛnsɛe yɛn.

So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.

Mmere nyinaa yɛn nnipa dua no soa Yesu wu a owui no sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a n’abrabɔ bɛda adi wɔ yɛn mu.

The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Death of Eli

Yɛn asetena mu nyinaa, Yesu nti, yɛte hɔ ma owu sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a n’abrabɔ bɛda adi wɔ yɛn nipadua a ewu no mu.

That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head.

Eyi kyerɛ sɛ owu di ne dwuma wɔ yɛn mu ɛnna nkwa nso di ne dwuma wɔ mo mu.

When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair by the side of the road, watching, because his heart feared for the ark of God. When the man entered the town and told what had happened, the whole town sent up a cry.

Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Mekasae, efisɛ, na migye di.” Saa honhom mu gyidi no ara so na ɛma yɛn nso yɛkasa, efisɛ,yegye di.

Eli heard the outcry and asked, “What is the meaning of this uproar?”

The man hurried over to Eli,

Yenim sɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔmaa Awurade Yesu sɔre fii awufo mu no bɛma yɛne Yesu asɔre na ɔde yɛn abɛka mo ho wɔ n’anim.

who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see.

Mo nti na eyinom bɛba mu; na sɛnea Onyankopɔn adom no redu nnipa bebree nkyɛn no, saa ara nso na wɔbɛbɔ mpae ada Onyankopɔn ase de ahyɛ no anuonyam.

He told Eli, “I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.”

Eli asked, “What happened, my son?”

Esiane eyi nti, yɛn bo ntu. Ɛwom sɛ yɛn nipadua no reporɔw nkakrankakra de, nanso yɛn honhom no de, ɛsesa yɛ foforo da biara da.

The man who brought the news replied, “Israel fled before the Philistines, and the army has suffered heavy losses. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”

Na saa ɔhaw kakra a yɛfa mu no de anuonyam a enni awiei a ɛboro saa ɔhaw no so no bɛbrɛ yɛn.

When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backward off his chair by the side of the gate. His neck was broken and he died, for he was an old man, and he was heavy. He had led^[b] Israel forty years.

Yɛmfa yɛn adwene nkɔ nneɛma a yehu so na mmom nneɛma a yenhu so na yɛde yɛn adwene kɔ. Nea wotumi hu no ntena hɔ nkyɛ nanso nea yentumi nhu no tena hɔ daa.

His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near the time of delivery. 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 was overcome by her labor pains.

As she was dying, the women attending her said, “Don’t despair; you have given birth to a son.” But she did not respond or pay any attention.

She named the boy Ichabod,^[c] saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband.

She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”