1 Nesse tempo Israel estava em guerra contra os filisteus. O exército israelita estava acampado perto de Ebenezer, e os filisteus junto de Afeque. Estes derrotaram Israel, matando quatro milhares dos seus soldados.

3 Depois do combate, o exército de Israel regressou ao acampamento e os seus líderes interrogavam-se por que razão o Senhor os tinha conduzido àquela derrota: Vamos trazer para aqui a arca, desde Silo. Se a trouxermos connosco, o Senhor estará no nosso meio e nos salvará seguramente dos nossos inimigos.

4 Então mandaram vir a arca da aliança do Senhor dos exércitos celestiais, que habita entronizado acima dos querubins. Hofni e Finéias, os filhos de Eli, vieram com ela até ao campo da batalha. Quando os israelitas viram chegar a arca, deram um brado de alegria tão forte que até a terra tremeu!

6 O que é que se passa?, perguntaram-se os filisteus. Para que foi aquele grito no campo dos hebreus? Quando souberam que era a arca do Senhor que tinha chegado ali, entraram em pânico. Deus veio para o campo deles!, gritavam. Ai de nós, que nunca enfrentámos uma situação destas antes! Quem é que nos vai salvar destes poderosos deuses de Israel? É que são os mesmos que destruíram o Egipto com pragas, quando Israel lá morava. Então, lutem agora, ó filisteus, como nunca o fizeram antes, pois doutra forma tornar-se-ão seus escravos, tal como eles já foram nossos escravos.

10 Dessa forma os filisteus lutaram desesperadamente, e Israel foi novamente derrotado. Trinta mil homens de Israel morreram nesse dia, e o restante fugiu para as tendas.

11 A arca de Deus foi capturada e Hofni mais Finéias foram mortos.

12 Um homem da tribo de Benjamim veio a correr da batalha e chegou no mesmo dia a Silo, com a roupa rasgada e a cabeça coberta de terra. Eli estava sentado à beira do caminho à espera de notícias da batalha, porque o seu coração tremia de cuidados pela segurança da arca de Deus. Quando o mensageiro chegou da frente de combate e relatou o que acontecera, levantou-se um grande clamor em toda a cidade.

14 O que é este barulho todo?, perguntou Eli mensageiro apressou-se a vir ter com Eli, dando-lhe a conhecer o que sucedera. (Eli era um ancião já de noventa e oito anos, e perdera totalmente a vista.)

16 Acabei agora de chegar da batalha; hoje ainda eu lá estava, disse a Eli. Israel foi derrotado e milhares dos das tropas israelitas morreram no campo de batalha. Hofni e Finéias também foram mortos, e a arca capturada.

18 Quando o mensageiro mencionou o que acontecera à arca, Eli caiu para trás no seu assento ao lado do portão de entrada, partiu o pescoço e faleceu (porque era já muito velho e pesado). Eli julgou Israel durante quarenta anos.

19 Quando a nora de Eli, a mulher de Finéias, que estava grávida, ouviu dizer que a arca fora tomada, que o marido tinha sido morto e o sogro falecera, o processo de gravidez precipitou-se e começou a sentir as dores de parto, ao mesmo tempo que se lhe ia apagando a vida. Antes de morrer, as mulheres que a assistiam disseram-lhe que tudo estava a correr bem e que tinha tido um rapaz. Mas ela nada respondeu nem vibrou com a notícia. Apenas murmurou: Chamem ao menino Icabode- porque foi-se a glória de Israel. Ela deu esse nome ao bebé porque a arca de Deus tinha sido capturada e porque o marido e o sogro tinham morrido.

1 And so it was, when the word of Samuel had reached all Israel, that Israel went forth to meet the Philistines in battle, and they encamped near Eben-ezer, while, the Philistines, encamped in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines set themselves in array to meet Israel, and, when the battle spread, then was Israel smitten before the Philistines,and there were slain of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 And, when the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath Yahweh smitten us to-day, before the Philistines? Let us fetch unto us, out of Shiloh, the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, that, when it cometh into our midst, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and bare from thence the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of hosts, who inhabiteth the cherubim,and, there, were the two sons of Eli, with the ark of the covenant of God, namely, Hophni and Phinehas.

5 And so it was, when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, that all Israel brake out into a loud shout of joy,so that the earth rang again.

6 And, when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they saidWhat meaneth the noise of this loud shout of joy in the camp of the Hebrews? And they learned that, the ark of Yahweh, had come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they saidGod hath come into the camp. And they saidWoe to us! for there hath not happened the like of this, heretofore.

8 Woe to us! Who shall rescue us out of the hand of these majestic gods? These, are the gods, who smote the Egyptians with all manner of smiting in the desert!

9 Take courage, and quit yourselves like men, ye Philistines, lest ye come into bondage to the Hebrews, as they have been in bondage unto you,therefore must ye quit yourselves like men, and fight.

10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his home; and the slaughter became exceeding great,and there fell of Israelthirty thousand footmen.

11 And, the ark of God, was taken,and, the two sons of Eli, were slain, Hophni and Phinehas.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and entered Shiloh on the same day,with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And, when he entered, lo! Eli was sitting upon his chair, by the wayside, watching, for his heart was trembling for the ark of God,and, the man, entered to tell the news in the city, and all the city made outcry.

14 And, when Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he saidWhat meaneth the noise of this tumult? And, the man, hasted, and came, and told Eli.

15 Now, Eli, was ninety-eight years old; and his eyes were fixed, that he could not see.

16 So the man said unto Eli, I, am he that came in from the army, yea, I, from the army, fled to-day. And he saidWhat is the thing that hath happened, my son?

17 And the bearer of tidings answered, and saidIsrael hath fled before the Philistines, Moreover also, a great smiting, hath taken place among the people,Moreover also, thy two sons, are slain, Hophni and Phinehas, And, the ark of God, is taken.

18 And it came to pass, when he mentioned the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backwards, at the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died, for, old, was the man, and, heavy,and, he had judged Israel forty years.

19 Now, his daughter-in-law, wife of Phinehas, was with child, ready to give birth, and, when she heard the tidings, as to the taking of the ark of God, and the death of her father-in-law, and her husband, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pains had seized her.

20 And, about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said: Do not fear, for, to a son, hast thou given birth. But she neither answered nor regarded.

21 And she called the boy I-chabod! saying, Exiled is the glory from Israel,In regard to the taking of the ark of God, and to her father-in-law, and to her husband. \fs15

22 So she saidExiled is the glory from Israel,For the ark of God hath been taken.