1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in battle array against Israel. And when they joined the battle, Israel was struck down before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men at the battle line in the field.
3 And when the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Jehovah struck us down today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.
4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from there the ark of the covenant of Jehovah of Hosts, who dwells between the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And when the ark of the covenant of Jehovah came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout so that the earth shook.
6 And when the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, What is this sound of great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews? Then they understood that the ark of Jehovah had come into the camp.
7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God has come into the camp! And they said, Woe to us! For such a thing has never happened before.
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck Egypt with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong and be like men, you Philistines, that you do not become servants of the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Be like men, and fight!
10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck down, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 And a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and earth on his head.
13 And when he came, behold Eli was sitting on a seat by the wayside, watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and reported, all the city cried out.
14 When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, What is this sound of tumult? And the man came quickly and reported to Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes had become set that he could not see.
16 And the man said to Eli, I am the one who came from the battle line, and I have fled today from the battle line. And he said, What happened, my son?
17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, have died; and the ark of God has been taken.
18 And it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child, due to be delivered; and when she heard the news that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she bowed herself and gave birth, for her pangs came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, Do not fear, for you have borne a son. But she did not answer, nor was her heart set on it.
21 And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel! because the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.
22 And she said, The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.
1 Os filisteus dispuseram suas forças em linha para enfrentar Israel, e, intensificando-se o combate, Israel foi derrotado pelos filisteus, que mataram cerca de quatro mil deles no campo de batalha.
2 Quando os soldados voltaram ao acampamento, as autoridades de Israel perguntaram: "Por que o Senhor deixou que os filisteus nos derrotassem? Vamos a Siló buscar a arca da aliança do Senhor, para que ele vá conosco e nos salve das mãos de nossos inimigos".
3 Então mandaram trazer de Siló a arca da aliança do Senhor dos Exércitos, que tem o seu trono entre os querubins. E os dois filhos de Eli, Hofni e Finéias, acompanharam a arca da aliança de Deus.
4 Quando a arca da aliança do Senhor entrou no acampamento, todos os israelitas gritaram tão alto que o chão estremeceu.
5 Os filisteus, ouvindo os gritos, perguntaram: "O que significam todos esses gritos no acampamento dos hebreus? "
6 souberam que a arca do Senhor viera para o acampamento,
7 os filisteus ficaram com medo e disseram: "Deuses chegaram ao acampamento. Ai de nós! Nunca nos aconteceu uma coisa dessas!
8 Ai de nós! Quem nos livrará das mãos desses deuses poderosos? São os deuses que feriram os egípcios com toda espécie de pragas, no deserto.
9 Sejam fortes, filisteus! Sejam homens ou vocês se tornarão escravos dos hebreus, assim como eles foram escravos de vocês. Sejam homens e lutem! "
10 Então os filisteus lutaram e Israel foi derrotado; cada homem fugiu para sua tenda. O massacre foi muito grande: Israel perdeu trinta mil homens de infantaria.
11 A arca de Deus foi tomada, e os dois filhos de Eli, Hofni e Finéias, morreram.
12 Naquele mesmo dia um benjamita correu da linha de batalha até Siló, com as roupas rasgadas e terra na cabeça.
13 Quando ele chegou, Eli estava sentado, observando sua cadeira, ao lado da estrada, pois seu coração temia pela arca de Deus. O homem entrou na cidade e contou o que havia acontecido, e a cidade começou a gritar.
14 Eli ouviu os gritos e perguntou: "O que significa esse tumulto? " O homem correu para contar tudo a Eli.
15 Eli tinha noventa e oito anos de idade e seus olhos estavam imóveis, e ele já não conseguia enxergar.
16 O homem lhe disse: "Acabei de chegar da linha de batalha; fugi de lá hoje mesmo". Eli perguntou: "O que aconteceu, meu filho? "
17 O mensageiro respondeu: "Israel fugiu dos filisteus, e houve uma grande matança entre os soldados. Também os seus dois filhos, Hofni e Finéias, estão mortos, e a arca de Deus foi tomada".
18 Quando ele mencionou a arca de Deus, Eli caiu da cadeira para trás, ao lado do portão, quebrou o pescoço, e morreu, pois era velho e pesado. Ele liderou Israel durante quarenta anos.
19 Sua nora, a mulher de Finéias, estava grávida e perto de dar à luz. Quando ouviu a notícia de que a arca de Deus havia sido tomada e que seu sogro e seu marido estavam mortos, entrou em trabalho de parto e deu à luz, mas não resistiu às dores do parto.
20 Enquanto morria, as mulheres que a ajudavam disseram: "Não se desespere; você teve um menino". Mas ela não respondeu nem deu atenção.
21 Ela deu ao menino o nome de Icabode, e disse: "A glória se foi de Israel". Porque a arca foi tomada e por causa da morte do sogro e do marido.
22 E ainda acrescentou: "A glória se foi de Israel, pois a arca de Deus foi tomada".