1And 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. 2The 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. 3When 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.’
4So 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.
5When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook. 6Hearing 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, 7the Philistines were afraid. ‘A god has4:7 Or ‘Gods have (see Septuagint) come into the camp,’ they said. ‘Oh no! Nothing like this has happened before. 8We’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. 9Be strong, Philistines! Be men, or you will be subject to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be men, and fight!’
10So 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. 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Death of Eli
12That same day a Benjaminite ran from the battle line and went to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dust on his head. 13When 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.
14Eli heard the outcry and asked, ‘What is the meaning of this uproar?’
The man hurried over to Eli, 15who was ninety-eight years old and whose eyes had failed so that he could not see. 16He told Eli, ‘I have just come from the battle line; I fled from it this very day.’
Eli asked, ‘What happened, my son?’
17The 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.’
18When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backwards 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 led4:18 Traditionally judged Israel for forty years.
19His 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 labour and gave birth, but was overcome by her labour pains. 20As 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.
21She named the boy Ichabod,4:21 Ichabod means no glory. 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. 22She said, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.’
Nakĩo kiugo gĩa Samũeli gĩgĩkinya Isiraeli guothe.
Afilisti Gũtaha Ithandũkũ rĩa Kĩrĩkanĩro
120 4:1 1Sam 7:12; 1Ath 20:26Na rĩrĩ, andũ a Isiraeli nĩmoimagarire makarũe na Afilisti. Andũ a Isiraeli makĩamba hema ciao kũu Ebeni-Ezeri, nao Afilisti makĩamba ciao kũu Afeku. 2Afilisti magĩtũma ita rĩao rĩgacemanie na Isiraeli, na o ũrĩa mbaara yathiiaga na mbere-rĩ, noguo Isiraeli maahootagwo nĩ Afilisti, arĩa mooragire andũ ta 4,000 kũu maarũagĩra. 34:3 Josh 7:7; 2Maũ 13:5Rĩrĩa mbũtũ ciacookire kambĩ-inĩ-rĩ, athuuri a Isiraeli makĩũria atĩrĩ, “Jehova atũma tũhootwo nĩ Afilisti ũmũthĩ nĩkĩ? Nĩ tũgĩĩrei ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova kuuma Shilo, nĩgeetha tũthiĩ narĩo rĩtũhonokie kuuma moko-inĩ ma thũ ciitũ.”
44:4 Kĩam 3:24; Thaam 25:22Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio magĩtũma andũ kũu Shilo, nao makĩrehe ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, ũrĩa ũikarĩire gĩtĩ kĩa ũnene gatagatĩ ka makerubi. Nao ariũ eerĩ a Eli, Hofini na Finehasi, maarĩ hamwe na ithandũkũ rĩu rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Ngai.
5Rĩrĩa ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova rĩakinyire kambĩ-inĩ-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli othe makiugĩrĩria na mũgambo mũnene o nginya thĩ ĩkĩinaina. 64:6 Kĩam 14:13Na rĩrĩa Afilisti maaiguire mbugĩrĩrio ĩyo makĩũrania atĩrĩ, “Mbugĩrĩrio ĩyo ĩrĩ kambĩ-inĩ ya Ahibirania nĩ ya kĩĩ?”
Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa maamenyire atĩ nĩ ithandũkũ rĩa Jehova rĩakinyĩte kambĩ-inĩ-rĩ, 7Afilisti magĩĩtigĩra makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ngai nĩyũkĩte kambĩ-inĩ, ithuĩ tũrĩ thĩĩna-inĩ! Gũtirĩ kuoneka ũndũ ta ũyũ mbere ĩno. 84:8 Thaam 12:30; Kũg 11:6Wũi-ĩiya-witũ-ĩ! Nũũ ũgũtũhonokia moko-inĩ ma ngai ici irĩ hinya ũũ? Ici nĩcio ngai iria ciahũũrire andũ a Misiri na mĩthiro ya mĩthemba yothe werũ-inĩ. 94:9 Atiir 13:1Mwĩyũmĩrĩriei, Afilisti aya! Tuĩkai arũme ki, kana mũtuo ngombo cia Ahibirania, ta ũrĩa matũire marĩ ngombo cianyu. Tuĩkai arũme ki, na mũrũe!”
104:10 Gũcook 28:25Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Afilisti makĩrũa nao, na andũ a Isiraeli makĩhootwo, nake o mũndũ akĩũrĩra hema-inĩ yake. Nayo njũragano yarĩ nene mũno; thigari cia Isiraeli ngiri mĩrongo ĩtatũ iria ciathiiaga na magũrũ ikĩũragwo. 11Narĩo ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai rĩgĩtahwo, nao ariũ eerĩ a Eli, Hofini na Finehasi, magĩkua.
Gĩkuũ kĩa Eli
124:12 Ezek 24:26; Josh 7:6Mũthenya o ro ũcio Mũbenjamini ũmwe akĩhanyũka oimĩte mbaara-inĩ, agĩthiĩ nginya Shilo, nguo ciake irĩ ndembũkangu na aarĩ na tĩĩri mũtwe. 13Na rĩrĩa aakinyire-rĩ, agĩkora Eli aikarĩire gĩtĩ gĩake mũkĩra-inĩ wa njĩra, acũthĩrĩirie, tondũ ngoro yake yarĩ na guoya nĩ ũndũ wa ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai. Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa mũndũ ũcio aatoonyire itũũra-inĩ, na akĩheana ũhoro ũrĩa gwekĩkĩte-rĩ, itũũra rĩothe rĩgĩkayũrũrũka.
14Rĩrĩa Eli aiguire mũkayũrũrũko ũcio akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Gĩtũmi kĩa inegene rĩu nĩ kĩĩ?”
Nake mũndũ ũcio agĩthiĩ narua harĩ Eli, 154:15 1Sam 3:2ũrĩa warĩ na ũkũrũ wa mĩaka mĩrongo kenda na ĩnana, ũrĩa maitho make moorĩte, akaagaga kuona. 16Akĩĩra Eli atĩrĩ, “No hĩndĩ ndooka nyumĩte mbaara-inĩ; ndoora kuuma kuo o ũmũthĩ.”
Eli akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa gwĩkĩkire mũrũ wakwa?”
174:17 1Sam 22:18; Thab 78:61Mũndũ ũcio warehire ũhoro agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Andũ a Isiraeli nĩmoorĩire Afilisti, nayo mbũtũ ya ita nĩyũragĩtwo mũno. O na ariũ aku eerĩ, Hofini na Finehasi, nĩ akuũ, narĩo ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai nĩitahe.”
184:18 Atiir 2:16; 1Sam 2:31Rĩrĩa aagwetire ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai, Eli akĩgũa na ngara oimĩte gĩtĩ-inĩ gĩake hau mwena-inĩ wa kĩhingo. Ngingo yake ĩkiunĩka, agĩkua, nĩ ũndũ aarĩ mũndũ mũkũrũ na akaritũha. Aatongoretie Isiraeli mĩaka mĩrongo ĩna.
19Mũtumia wa mũriũ wake Finehasi aarĩ na nda na aatigĩtie hanini aciare. Na rĩrĩa aaiguire ũhoro ũcio wa atĩ ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai nĩrĩtahĩtwo, na atĩ iciciarawe hamwe na mũthuuriwe nĩmakuĩte-rĩ, akĩnyiitwo nĩ ruo rwa kũrũmwo na agĩciara, no agĩtoorio nĩ ruo rwa gũciara. 20Na rĩrĩa aakuaga, atumia arĩa maamũteithagĩrĩria makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Tiga gũkua ngoro; nĩwaciara kahĩĩ.” No ndaacookirie ũndũ o na kana kũrũmbũiya ũhoro o na ũrĩkũ.
214:21 Kĩam 35:18Nake agĩtua kahĩĩ kau Ikabodu, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Riiri nĩweherete Isiraeli,” nĩ ũndũ wa ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai gũtahwo, na gũkua gwa iciciarawe na mũthuuriwe. 224:22 Thaam 24:16; Jer 7:12; Thab 78:61Akiuga atĩrĩ, “Riiri nĩweherete ũkoima Isiraeli, nĩ ũndũ ithandũkũ rĩa Ngai nĩrĩtahĩtwo.”
