1 E as palavras de Samuel chegavam a todo o povo de Israel.

Naquele tempo, Israel estava em guerra com os filisteus. O exército israelita tinha acampado perto de Ebenézer, e os filisteus acamparam em Afeque. 2 Os filisteus atacaram e derrotaram o exército de Israel, matando cerca de quatro mil homens. 3 Terminada a batalha, os soldados voltaram para o acampamento, e as autoridades de Israel se perguntaram: "Por que o Senhor causou nossa derrota diante dos filisteus? Vamos trazer a arca da aliança do Senhor desde Siló, para que esteja conosco e nos livre do poder do inimigo!".

4 Então enviaram homens a Siló para trazer a arca da aliança do Senhor dos Exércitos, que está entronizado entre os querubins. Hofni e Fineias, os dois filhos de Eli, acompanharam a arca da aliança de Deus. 5 Quando todos os israelitas viram a arca da aliança do Senhor entrando no acampamento, soltaram gritos de alegria tão altos que fizeram o chão tremer.

6 "O que está acontecendo?", perguntaram os filisteus. "Que significam esses gritos no acampamento dos hebreus?" Quando souberam que era porque a arca do Senhor havia chegado, 7 entraram em pânico. "Os deuses vieram ao acampamento deles!", disseram. "Estamos perdidos! Nunca enfrentamos uma coisa assim antes! 8 Estamos perdidos! Quem nos salvará desses deuses poderosos? São os mesmos deuses que destruíram os egípcios com pragas, quando Israel estava no deserto. 9 Tenham coragem, filisteus! Sejam homens! Do contrário, acabaremos como escravos dos hebreus, assim como eles se tornaram nossos escravos. Sejam homens e lutem!"

10 Então os filisteus saíram para a batalha, e Israel foi derrotado. A matança foi grande: trinta mil soldados israelitas morreram naquele dia. Os sobreviventes deram meia-volta e fugiram para suas tendas. 11 A arca de Deus foi tomada, e Hofni e Fineias, os dois filhos de Eli, foram mortos.

12 Um homem da tribo de Benjamim correu do campo de batalha e chegou a Siló ainda naquele dia. Tinha rasgado suas roupas e colocado pó sobre a cabeça. 13 Eli estava sentado numa cadeira, ao lado da estrada, esperando para ouvir as notícias da batalha, pois seu coração tremia pela segurança da arca de Deus. Quando o mensageiro chegou e contou o que havia acontecido, gritos ressoaram por toda a cidade.

14 Eli ouviu os gritos e perguntou: "O que é esse barulho todo?".

O mensageiro correu até Eli e contou-lhe a notícia. 15 Eli estava com 98 anos e já não conseguia enxergar. 16 "Acabo de chegar do campo de batalha", disse o mensageiro. "Fugi de lá hoje mesmo."

Eli perguntou: "O que aconteceu, meu filho?".

17 O mensageiro respondeu: "Israel foi derrotado pelos filisteus, e o povo foi massacrado. Seus dois filhos, Hofni e Fineias, também morreram, e a arca de Deus foi tomada".

18 Quando ele mencionou o que havia acontecido com a arca de Deus, Eli caiu da cadeira para trás, ao lado do portão. Quebrou o pescoço e morreu, pois era velho e pesado. Havia sido juiz em Israel durante quarenta anos.

19 A nora de Eli, esposa de Fineias, estava grávida e perto de dar à luz. Quando soube que a arca de Deus havia sido tomada e que o sogro e o marido estavam mortos, teve contrações violentas e deu à luz. 20 Ela morreu no parto, mas antes de falecer as parteiras tentaram animá-la. "Não tenha medo!", disseram. "Você teve um menino!" Mas ela não respondeu nem se importou.

21 Deu ao menino o nome de Icabode, e disse: "Foi-se embora a glória de Israel", pois a arca de Deus havia sido tomada, e seu sogro e seu marido estavam mortos. 22 Disse ainda: "Foi-se embora a glória de Israel, pois a arca de Deus foi tomada!".

1 The word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek. 2 The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field. 3 When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has Yahweh defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of Yahweh’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies."

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of Yahweh’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?" They understood that Yahweh’s ark had come into the camp. 7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp." They said, "Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before. 8 Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 Be strong and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!" 10 The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell. 11 God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head. 13 When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What does the noise of this tumult mean?"

The man hurried, and came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see. 16 The man said to Eli, "I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army."

He said, "How did the matter go, my son?"

17 He who brought the news answered, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and God’s ark has been captured."

18 When he made mention of God’s ark, Eli fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck broke, and he died, for he was an old man and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.

19 His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to giving birth. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her. 20 About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, "Don’t be afraid, for you have given birth to a son." But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it. 21 She named the child Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel!" because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, "The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken."