1 Then Samuel would speak to the whole nation of Israel.
The Philistines Capture the Sacred Chest
One day the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. They set up camp near Ebenezer, and the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines made a fierce attack. They defeated the Israelites and killed about 4,000 of them.
3 The Israelite army returned to their camp, and the leaders said, “Why did the Lord let us lose to the Philistines today? Let's get the sacred chest where the Lord's agreement with Israel is kept. Then the Lord will help us and rescue us from our enemies.”
4 The army sent some soldiers to bring back the sacred chest from Shiloh, because the Lord All-Powerful has his throne on the winged creatures on top of the chest.
As Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, 5 brought the chest into camp, the army cheered so loudly that the ground shook. 6 The Philistines heard the noise and said, “What are those Hebrews shouting about?”
When the Philistines learned that the sacred chest had been brought into the camp, 7 they were scared to death and said:
The gods have come into their camp. Now we're in real trouble! Nothing like this has ever happened to us before. 8 We're in big trouble! Who can save us from these powerful gods? They're the same gods who made all those horrible things happen to the Egyptians in the desert.
9 Philistines, be brave and fight hard! If you don't, those Hebrews will rule us, just as we've been ruling them. Fight and don't be afraid.
10 The Philistines did fight. They killed 30,000 Israelite soldiers, and all the rest ran off to their homes. 11 Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and the sacred chest was captured.
Eli Dies
12 That same day a soldier from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefront to Shiloh. He had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head to show his sorrow. 13 He went into town and told the news about the battle, and everyone started crying.
Eli was afraid that something might happen to the sacred chest. So he was sitting on his chair beside the road, just waiting. 14-15 He was 98 years old and blind, but he could hear everyone crying, and he asked, “What's all that noise?”
The soldier hurried over and told Eli, 16 “I escaped from the fighting today and ran here.”
“Young man, what happened?” Eli asked.
17 “Israel ran away from the Philistines,” the soldier answered. “Many of our people were killed, including your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. But worst of all, the sacred chest was captured.”
18 Eli was still sitting on a chair beside the wall of the town gate. And when the man said that the Philistines had taken the sacred chest, Eli fell backwards. He was a very heavy old man, and the fall broke his neck and killed him. He had been a leader of Israel for 40 years.
19 The wife of Phinehas was about to give birth. And soon after she heard that the sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and his father had died, her baby came. The birth was very hard, 20 and she was dying. But the women taking care of her said, “Don't be afraid—it's a boy!”
She didn't pay any attention to them. 21-22 Instead she kept thinking about losing her husband and her father-in-law. So she said, “My son will be named Ichabod, because the glory of Israel left our country when the sacred chest was captured.”
1 Ago ondro Samuele katate, lidri cini Yisaraele ro eri ta ndaro te.
Felesete'bai Payi Sänduku Tao'baro te
Tu ana si Yisaraele'bai fote tesi kyila oyene Felesete'bai be; ànya otoyi gawa te Ebenezere ya, ago Felesete'bai otoyi gawa te Afeka ya. 2 Felesete'bai gotayi Yisaraele te, ago ondro kyila keperevote oko, ànya peyi Yisaraele te ṛe, ago fuyi mànoago te kutu su (4,000) vo kyila oyero ya. 3 Ago ondro kyila'bai kegoyite kovole gawa ya oko, dri'bai Yisaraele ro atate ekye: “Tana e'di ondro ono OPI 'ba Felesete'bai gwo ama opene ṛe niya? Mì'de mèzi Sänduku Tao'baro OPI ro noŋwa ni Silo ya, tana nda kikyi robe ama lako ago kopa ama robe ni mbara kyila'baazii amaro ro ri.” 4 Ago ànya zoyi lazo'bai te Silo ya, ago ni nasi ezi Sänduku Tao'baro OPI Mbaraekye ro te, se rite beti malaikai vookwaro dri ana. Ago ŋgwàagoro ritu Eli ro Hofeni ndi Finasa be, ikyiyite lau Sänduku Tao'baro Lu robe.
5 Ondro Sänduku Tao'baro OPI ro kesate gawa ya oko, Yisaraele'bai cini tre otre riyä rote mbara amba si, ago gyini kandaru ndi kanda. 6 Ago ondro Felesete'bai keriyi kporo amo rote oko, ànya atayite ekye: “Tana e'di amo a'do gwo amba gawa Ebere'bai roya niya?” Ago ondro ànya kuniyite anjioko Sänduku Tao'baro OPI ro esate gawa Ebere'bai roya oko, 7 Felesete'bai a'dote turituri ro; ago ànya atayite ekye: “Lu esate gawa ànyaro ya.” Ago ànya atayite ekye: “Wu, amate rriti ya! Ŋga aza oso nonye a'do kote ämäri kätina. 8 Wu, ama te rriti ya, A'di unina ni ama opane ni mbara lui mbaraekye ono ro yasi ya? Kwoi ni lui se tufuyi Ezipeto'bai be taezaro cini dritoto si vocowa ya ana owo. 9 Nyùturi ko Felesete'bai, Mìye kyila oso mànoago ronye, ukyi nyà'do 'da iyeäṛii ro Ebere'bai ri oso sedri ànya ka'dobe ämäri ronye. Ta'doro mìye kyila oso mànoago ronye.” 10 Ago Felesete'bai yeyi kyila te mbara si, ago peyi Yisaraele te ṛe, ago kyila'bai Yisaraele ro muyite mano alo mute 'ba iro modona ya. Utufu lidri te orivoya amba, kyila'bai Yisaraele'bai ro se kabe aba pa si utufute orivoya kutu 'butenätu (30,000) lau. 11 Ago apa Sänduku Tao'baro OPI rote, ago ŋgwàagoro ritu Eli ro Hofeni ndi Finasa be äfute.
Odra Eli ro
12 Mano Benjamina ro aza imute ni vo kyila ro yasi, ago esate Silo ya 'bu'dä. Ago a'do tusuro ndaro ka'daza, nda wa boŋgo ndaro te ago da durufu te drî ndaro ya. 13 Ondro nda esate oko, nda usu Eli orivoya vo oriro ndaro dri litibiṛi ya voondrevoya, tana ya ndaro 'du loŋgaloŋga ro ta Sänduku Tao'baro Lu ro rota. Ago ondro mano ana kesate 'bakici ya ago kiti lazo te oko, lidri cini 'bakici ya amote liyi be. 14 Ondro Eli keri kporo liyiro te oko atate ekye: “Amo 'do e'di roya?” 'Dooko mano ana imute ndrindri Eli re ago iti tate ndäri. 15 Ndroa Eli rote 'butenjidriesu fonjidriena (98) ago mi ndaro zwete, ago ni voondre kote. 16 Ago mano ana atate Eli ri ekye: “Ma ni nda se kikyibe ni kyila yasi owo; mimu te ondro ni kyila yasi.” Ago Eli eji nda te ekye: “Ta e'diro a'doni ya, ŋgwa maro?” 17 Nda se kezo lazo be ana zatadrite ekye: “Yisaraele'bai muyite ni Felesete'bai risi; utufu lidri amaro te orivoya amba. Ago ŋgwàagoro ritu miro, Hofeni ndi Finasa be, äfu kpate ago Sänduku Tao'baro Lu ro apate.”
18 Ondro mano ana kata ta Sänduku Tao'baro Lu ro tana te oko, Eli e'dete kunduunduro ni vo oriro ndaro se loto dereŋwa lomvo ana drisi; ago kyembe ndaro laŋgote ago nda drate, tana nda te orivoya agoambago ro, ago läŋgyiläŋgyi ro. Nda a'dote dri'baro Yisaraele dri ndroa na 'butesu.
Odra Ävuzi Finasa ro ro
19 Ago toko Finasa ŋgwa Eli ro ro orivoya ŋgwa be, ago te ti utine. Ago ondro anya keri lazo te ekye apa Sänduku Tao'baro Lu rote, ago ambago anyaro ndi ago anyaro be drate oko, dori ya anyaro eto luwute ago anya ti ŋgwa te. 20 Ago ondro anya te ti odrane oko 'ditoko se kikyibe anya utine kai atate anyari ekye: “Nyuturi ko, tana miti ŋgwaagoro te.” Oko anya zatadri kote ago ti ta ata se ànya kabe atana ro kote. 21 Ago anya zi ävuru ŋgwa rote Ikaboda, se takacina anjioko. “A'do 'Desi Lu ro e'be Yisaraele te,” tana Sänduku Tao'baro Lu ro apate, ago ambago anyaro ndi ago anyaro be drate. 22 Ago anya atate ekye: “A'do 'desi Lu ro e'be Yisaraele te, tana apa Sänduku Tao'baro Lu rote.”