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 the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined the battle, Israel was struck before the Philistines; and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why has Yahweh struck us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of Shiloh 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 hosts 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 And when the ark of the covenant of Yahweh came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What is the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of Yahweh came 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 there has not been such a thing before.
8 Woe to us! Who will deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness.
9 Be strong, and conduct yourselves like men, O you{+} Philistines, or else you{+} will be slaves to the Hebrews, as they have been slaves to you{+}: conduct yourselves like men, and fight.
10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was struck, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes rent, and with earth on his head.
13 And he came and saw that Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What is the noise of this tumult? And the man hurried, and came and told Eli.
15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, so that he could not see.
16 And the man said to Eli, I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army. And he said, How did it go, my son?
17 And he who brought the news answered and said, Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great slaughter among the people, and your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that [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. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19 And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was pregnant, near 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 were dead, she bowed herself and brought forth; for her pains came upon her.
20 And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, Don't be afraid; for you have brought forth a son. But she didn't answer, neither did she regard it.
21 And she named the lad Ichabod, saying, The glory has departed from Israel; because the ark of God was 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 was taken.