1 Samuel 4

Bible in Basic English

1Now at that time the Philistines came together to make war against Israel, and the men of Israel went out to war against the Philistines and took up their position at the side of Eben-ezer: and the Philistines put their forces in position in Aphek.

2And the Philistines put their forces in order against Israel, and the fighting was hard, and Israel was overcome by the Philistines, who put to the sword about four thousand of their army in the field.

3And when the people came back to their tents, the responsible men of Israel said, Why has the Lord let the Philistines overcome us today? Let us get the ark of the Lord's agreement here from Shiloh, so that it may be with us and give us salvation from the hands of those who are against us.

4So the people sent to Shiloh and got the ark of the agreement of the Lord of armies whose resting-place is between the winged ones; and Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were there with the ark of God's agreement.

5And when the ark of the Lord's agreement came into the tent-circle, all Israel gave a great cry, so that the earth was sounding with it.

6And the Philistines, hearing the noise of their cry, said, What is this great cry among the tents of the Hebrews? Then it became clear to them that the ark of the Lord had come to the tent-circle.

7And the Philistines, full of fear, said, God has come into their tents. And they said, Trouble is ours! for never before has such a thing been seen.

8Trouble is ours! Who will give us salvation from the hands of these great gods? These are the gods who sent all sorts of blows on the Egyptians in the waste land.

9Be strong, O Philistines, be men! Do not be servants to the Hebrews as they have been to you: go forward to the fight without fear.

10So the Philistines went to the fight, and Israel was overcome, and every man went in flight to his tent: and great was the destruction, for thirty thousand footmen of Israel were put to the sword.

11And the ark of God was taken; and Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli, were put to the sword.

12And a man of Benjamin went running from the fight and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothing out of order and earth on his head.

13And when he came, Eli was seated by the wayside watching: and in his heart was fear for the ark of God. And when the man came into the town and gave the news, there was a great outcry.

14And Eli, hearing the noise and the cries, said, What is the reason of this outcry? And the man came quickly and gave the news to Eli.

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

16And the man said to Eli, I have come from the army and have come in flight today from the fight. And he said, How did it go, my son?

17And the man said, Israel went in flight from the Philistines, and there has been great destruction among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been taken.

18And at these words about the ark of God, Eli, falling back off his seat by the side of the doorway into the town, came down on the earth so that his neck was broken and death overtook him, for he was an old man and of great weight. He had been judging Israel for forty years.

19And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child and near the time when she would give birth; and when she had the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, her pains came on her suddenly and she gave birth.

20And when she was very near death the women who were with her said, Have no fear, for you have given birth to a son. But she made no answer and gave no attention to it.

21And she gave the child the name of Ichabod, saying, The glory has gone from Israel: because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22And she said, The glory is gone from Israel, for the ark of God has been taken.

Reina-Valera 1909

1Y SAMUEL habló á todo Israel. Por aquel tiempo salió Israel á encontrar en batalla á los Filisteos, y asentó campo junto á Eben-ezer, y los Filisteos asentaron el suyo en Aphec.

2Y los Filisteos presentaron la batalla á Israel; y trabándose el combate, Israel fué vencido delante de los Filisteos, los cuales hirieron en la batalla por el campo como cuatro mil hombres.

3Y vuelto que hubo el pueblo al campamento, los ancianos de Israel dijeron: ¿Por qué nos ha herido hoy Jehová delante de los Filisteos? Traigamos á nosotros de Silo el arca del pacto de Jehová, para que viniendo entre nosotros nos salve de la mano de nuestros enemigos.

4Y envió el pueblo á Silo, y trajeron de allá el arca del pacto de Jehová de los ejércitos, que estaba asentado entre los querubines; y los dos hijos de Eli, Ophni y Phinees, estaban allí con el arca del pacto de Dios.

5Y aconteció que, como el arca del pacto de Jehová vino al campo, todo Israel dió grita con tan gran júbilo, que la tierra tembló.

6Y cuando los Filisteos oyeron la voz de júbilo, dijeron: ¿Qué voz de gran júbilo es esta en el campo de los Hebreos? Y supieron que el arca de Jehová había venido al campo.

7Y los Filisteos tuvieron miedo, porque decían: Ha venido Dios al campo. Y dijeron: ¡Ay de nosotros! pues antes de ahora no fué así.

8¡Ay de nosotros! ¿Quién nos librará de las manos de estos dioses fuertes? Estos son los dioses que hirieron á Egipto con toda plaga en el desierto.

9Esforzaos, oh Filisteos, y sed hombres, porque no sirváis á los Hebreos, como ellos os han servido á vosotros: sed hombres, y pelead.

10Pelearon pues los Filisteos, é Israel fué vencido, y huyeron cada cual á sus tiendas; y fué hecha muy grande mortandad, pues cayeron de Israel treinta mil hombres de á pie.

11Y el arca de Dios fué tomada, y muertos los dos hijos de Eli, Ophni y Phinees.

12Y corriendo de la batalla un hombre de Benjamín, vino aquel día á Silo, rotos sus vestidos y tierra sobre su cabeza:

13Y cuando llegó, he aquí Eli que estaba sentado en una silla atalayando junto al camino; porque su corazón estaba temblando por causa del arca de Dios. Llegado pues aquel hombre á la ciudad, y dadas las nuevas, toda la ciudad gritó.

14Y como Eli oyó el estruendo de la gritería, dijo: ¿Qué estruendo de alboroto es éste? Y aquel hombre vino apriesa, y dió las nuevas á Eli.

15Era ya Eli de edad de noventa y ocho años, y sus ojos se habían entenebrecido, de modo que no podía ver.

16Dijo pues aquel hombre á Eli: Yo vengo de la batalla, yo he escapado hoy del combate. Y él dijo: ¿Qué ha acontecido, hijo mío?

17Y el mensajero respondió, y dijo: Israel huyó delante de los Filisteos, y también fué hecha gran mortandad en el pueblo; y también tus dos hijos, Ophni y Phinees, son muertos, y el arca de Dios fué tomada.

18Y aconteció que como él hizo mención del arca de Dios, Eli cayó hacia atrás de la silla al lado de la puerta, y quebrósele la cerviz, y murió: porque era hombre viejo y pesado. Y había juzgado á Israel cuarenta años.

19Y su nuera, la mujer de Phinees, que estaba preñada, cercana al parto, oyendo el rumor que el arca de Dios era tomada, y muertos su suegro y su marido, encorvóse y parió; porque sus dolores se habían ya derramado por ella.

20Y al tiempo que se moría, decíanle las que estaban junto á ella: No tengas temor, porque has parido un hijo. Mas ella no respondió, ni paró mientes.

21Y llamó al niño Ichâbod, diciendo: ¡Traspasada es la gloria de Israel! por el arca de Dios que fué tomada, y porque era muerto su suegro, y su marido.

22Dijo pues: Traspasada es la gloria de Israel: porque el arca de Dios fué tomada.

King James Version

1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

2And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

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

4So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.

7And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

9Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.

10And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

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

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

13And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside 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.

14And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

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

16And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?

17And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

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

19And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

20And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

21And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.

22And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

World English Bible

1The word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

2The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men of the army in the field.

3When the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let’s get the ark of the LORD’s covenant out of Shiloh and bring it to us, that it may come among us and save us out of the hand of our enemies.”

4So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5When the ark of the LORD’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.

6When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” They understood that the LORD’s ark had come into the camp.

7The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” They said, “Woe to us! For there has not been such a thing before.

8Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness.

9Be strong and behave like men, O you Philistines, that you not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Strengthen yourselves like men, and fight!”

10The Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and each man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter; for thirty thousand footmen of Israel fell.

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

12A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.

13When he came, behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road watching, for his heart trembled for God’s ark. When the man came into the city and told about it, all the city cried out.

14When Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, “What does the noise of this tumult mean?” The man hurried, and came and told Eli.

15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see.

16The man said to Eli, “I am he who came out of the army, and I fled today out of the army.” He said, “How did the matter go, my son?”

17He who brought the news answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and God’s ark has been captured.”

18When he made mention of God’s ark, 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. He had judged Israel forty years.

19His daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to giving birth. When she heard the news that God’s ark was taken and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and gave birth; for her pains came on her.

20About the time of her death the women who stood by her said to her, “Don’t be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she didn’t answer, neither did she regard it.

21She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

22She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.”