1 Samuel 4

NEW JERUSALEM	STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH
1 and, for al Israel, the word of Samuel was as the word of Yahweh; since Eli was very old and his sonspersisted in their wicked behaviour towards Yahweh. It happened at that time that the Philistines mustered tomake war on Israel and Israel went out to meet them in war, pitching camp near Ebenezer while the Philistinespitched camp at Aphek.	1 וַיְהִי דְבַר־שְׁמוּאֵל לְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּצֵא יִשְׂרָאֵל לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים לַמִּלְחָמָה וַיַּחֲנוּ עַל־הָאֶבֶן הָעֵזֶר וּפְלִשְׁתִּים חָנוּ בַאֲפֵק
2 The Philistines drew up their battle-line against Israel, the fighting was fierce, and Israel was beaten bythe Philistines: about four thousand men in their ranks were kil ed on the field of battle.	2 וַיַּעַרְכוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים לִקְרַאת יִשְׂרָאֵל וַתִּטֹּשׁ הַמִּלְחָמָה וַיִּנָּגֶף יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיַּכּוּ בַמַּעֲרָכָה בַּשָּׂדֶה כְּאַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים אִישׁ
3 When the troops returned to camp, the elders of Israel said, 'Why has Yahweh caused us to be beatenby the Philistines today? Let us fetch the ark of our God from Shiloh so that, when it goes with us, it may save usfrom the clutches of our enemies.'	3 וַיָּבֹא הָעָם אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּאמְרוּ זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָּה נְגָפָנוּ יְהוָה הַיֹּום לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים נִקְחָה אֵלֵינוּ מִשִּׁלֹה אֶת־אֲרֹון בְּרִית יְהוָה וְיָבֹא בְקִרְבֵּנוּ וְיֹשִׁעֵנוּ מִכַּף אֹיְבֵינוּ
4 So the troops sent to Shiloh and brought away the ark of Yahweh Sabaoth enthroned on the wingedcreatures; the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the ark.	4 וַיִּשְׁלַח הָעָם שִׁלֹה וַיִּשְׂאוּ מִשָּׁם אֵת אֲרֹון בְּרִית־יְהוָה צְבָאֹות יֹשֵׁב הַכְּרֻבִים וְשָׁם שְׁנֵי בְנֵי־עֵלִי עִם־אֲרֹון בְּרִית הָאֱלֹהִים חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס
5 When the ark of Yahweh arrived in the camp, al Israel raised a great war cry so that the earthresounded.	5 וַיְהִי כְּבֹוא אֲרֹון בְּרִית־יְהוָה אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיָּרִעוּ כָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּרוּעָה גְדֹולָה וַתֵּהֹם הָאָרֶץ
6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the war cry, they said, 'What can this great war cry in theHebrew camp mean?' And they realised that the ark of Yahweh had come into the camp.	6 וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים אֶת־קֹול הַתְּרוּעָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ מֶה קֹול הַתְּרוּעָה הַגְּדֹולָה הַזֹּאת בְּמַחֲנֵה הָעִבְרִים וַיֵּדְעוּ כִּי אֲרֹון יְהוָה בָּא אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה
7 At this, the Philistines were afraid; for they said, 'God has come into the camp. Disaster!' they said. 'Fornothing like this has ever happened before.	7 וַיִּרְאוּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי אָמְרוּ בָּא אֱלֹהִים אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֹוי לָנוּ כִּי לֹא הָיְתָה כָּזֹאת אֶתְמֹול שִׁלְשֹׁם
8 Disaster! Who will rescue us from the clutches of this mighty God? This was the God who struck downEgypt with every kind of misfortune in the desert.	8 אֹוי לָנוּ מִי יַצִּילֵנוּ מִיַּד הָאֱלֹהִים הָאַדִּירִים הָאֵלֶּה אֵלֶּה הֵם הָאֱלֹהִים הַמַּכִּים אֶת־מִצְרַיִם בְּכָל־מַכָּה בַּמִּדְבָּר
9 But take courage and be men, Philistines, or you wil become slaves to the Hebrews as they have beenslaves to you. Be men and fight.'	9 הִתְחַזְּקוּ וִהְיוּ לַאֲנָשִׁים פְּלִשְׁתִּים פֶּן תַּעַבְדוּ לָעִבְרִים כַּאֲשֶׁר עָבְדוּ לָכֶם וִהְיִיתֶם לַאֲנָשִׁים וְנִלְחַמְתֶּם
10 So the Philistines gave battle and Israel was defeated, each man fleeing to his tent. The slaughter wasvery great: on the Israelite side, thirty thousand foot soldiers fel .	10 וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּנָּגֶף יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּנֻסוּ אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו וַתְּהִי הַמַּכָּה גְּדֹולָה מְאֹד וַיִּפֹּל מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף רַגְלִי
11 The ark of God was captured too, and Hophni and Phinehas the two sons of Eli died.	11 וַאֲרֹון אֱלֹהִים נִלְקָח וּשְׁנֵי בְנֵי־עֵלִי מֵתוּ חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס
12 A Benjaminite ran from the battle-line and reached Shiloh the same day, his clothes torn and dust onhis head.	12 וַיָּרָץ אִישׁ־בִּנְיָמִן מֵהַמַּעֲרָכָה וַיָּבֹא שִׁלֹה בַּיֹּום הַהוּא וּמַדָּיו קְרֻעִים וַאֲדָמָה עַל־רֹאשֹׁו
13 When he arrived, Eli was sitting on his seat beside the gate watching the road, for his heart wastrembling for the ark of God. The man came into the town and told the news, whereupon cries of anguish fil edthe town.	13 וַיָּבֹוא וְהִנֵּה עֵלִי יֹשֵׁב עַל־הַכִּסֵּא [יַךְ כ] (יַד ק) דֶּרֶךְ מְצַפֶּה כִּי־הָיָה לִבֹּו חָרֵד עַל אֲרֹון הָאֱלֹהִים וְהָאִישׁ בָּא לְהַגִּיד בָּעִיר וַתִּזְעַק כָּל־הָעִיר
14 Eli heard the sound and asked, 'What does this uproar mean?' The man hurried on and told Eli.	14 וַיִּשְׁמַע עֵלִי אֶת־קֹול הַצְּעָקָה וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה קֹול הֶהָמֹון הַזֶּה וְהָאִישׁ מִהַר וַיָּבֹא וַיַּגֵּד לְעֵלִי
15 Eli was ninety-eight years old; his gaze was fixed; he was blind.	15 וְעֵלִי בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִים וּשְׁמֹנֶה שָׁנָה וְעֵינָיו קָמָה וְלֹא יָכֹול לִרְאֹות
16 The man said to Eli, 'I have come from the camp. I escaped from the battle-line today.' 'My son,' saidEli, 'what happened?'	16 וַיֹּאמֶר הָאִישׁ אֶל־עֵלִי אָנֹכִי הַבָּא מִן־הַמַּעֲרָכָה וַאֲנִי מִן־הַמַּעֲרָכָה נַסְתִּי הַיֹּום וַיֹּאמֶר מֶה־הָיָה הַדָּבָר בְּנִי
17 The messenger replied, 'Israel has fled before the Philistines; the army has been utterly routed. Whatis worse, your two sons are dead and the ark of God has been captured.'	17 וַיַּעַן הַמְבַשֵּׂר וַיֹּאמֶר נָס יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וְגַם מַגֵּפָה גְדֹולָה הָיְתָה בָעָם וְגַם־שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ מֵתוּ חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס וַאֲרֹון הָאֱלֹהִים נִלְקָחָה׃ פ
18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell backwards off his seat by the gate and broke his neck anddied, for he was old and heavy. He had been judge of Israel for forty years.	18 וַיְהִי כְּהַזְכִּירֹו ׀ אֶת־אֲרֹון הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּפֹּל מֵעַל־הַכִּסֵּא אֲחֹרַנִּית בְּעַד ׀ יַד הַשַּׁעַר וַתִּשָּׁבֵר מַפְרַקְתֹּו וַיָּמֹת כִּי־זָקֵן הָאִישׁ וְכָבֵד וְהוּא שָׁפַט אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה
19 Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child and near her time. When she heard thenews that the ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead she croucheddown and gave birth, for her labour pains had come on.	19 וְכַלָּתֹו אֵשֶׁת־פִּינְחָס הָרָה לָלַת וַתִּשְׁמַע אֶת־הַשְּׁמֻעָה אֶל־הִלָּקַח אֲרֹון הָאֱלֹהִים וּמֵת חָמִיהָ וְאִישָׁהּ וַתִּכְרַע וַתֵּלֶד כִּי־נֶהֶפְכוּ עָלֶיהָ צִרֶיהָ
20 When she was at the point of death, the women at her side said, 'Do not be afraid; you have givenbirth to a son.' But she did not answer and took no notice.	20 וּכְעֵת מוּתָהּ וַתְּדַבֵּרְנָה הַנִּצָּבֹות עָלֶיהָ אַל־תִּירְאִי כִּי בֵן יָלָדְתְּ וְלֹא עָנְתָה וְלֹא־שָׁתָה לִבָּהּ
21 She named the child Ichabod, saying, 'The glory has gone from Israel,' al uding to the capture of theark of God and to her father-in-law and husband.	21 וַתִּקְרָא לַנַּעַר אִי־כָבֹוד לֵאמֹר גָּלָה כָבֹוד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־הִלָּקַח אֲרֹון הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶל־חָמִיהָ וְאִישָׁהּ
22 She said, 'The glory has gone from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.'	22 וַתֹּאמֶר גָּלָה כָבֹוד מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל כִּי נִלְקַח אֲרֹון הָאֱלֹהִים׃ פ