1 Samuel 4

1 Und so galt Samuels Wort für ganz Israel. Israel aber zog gegen die Philister in den Kampf. Sie lagerten am Eisstein; die Philister aber lagerten sich bei Aphek.

And Samuel told to all the people of Israel the messages that God gave him. At that time the Israeli army went to fight against the army of the Philistine people. The Israeli army set up their tents at Ebenezer, and the Philistine army set up their tents at Aphek.

2 Die Philister nun boten Israel den Kampf an. Da begann der Kampf, und Israel ward von den Philistern geschlagen. Auf dem Kampfplatz auf dem Felde wurden an 4.000 Mann erschlagen.

The Philistine army attacked the Israeli army, and as the battle continued, the Philistines defeated the Israelis and killed about 4,000 of their soldiers.

3 So kam die Mannschaft wieder in das Lager; da sagten die Ältesten Israels: "Warum hat uns heute der Herr vor den Philistern geschlagen? Wir wollen die Bundeslade des Herrn aus Silo zu uns holen. So soll er in unsere Mitte kommen und uns aus unserer Feinde Hand erretten!"

When the remaining Israeli soldiers returned to their camp, the Israeli elders/leaders said, “Why did Yahweh allow the Philistine army to defeat us today? We should bring the chest that contains the Ten Commandments here from Shiloh, in order that Yahweh will go with us [when we go to the battle again, and] in order that our enemies will not defeat us again!”

4 Da sandte das Volk nach Silo. Und man holte von dort die Bundeslade des Herrn der Heerscharen, der auf den Cheruben thront. Dabei waren auch die beiden Elisöhne Chophni und Pinechas mit der Bundeslade Gottes.

So the soldiers did that. They sent some men to Shiloh, and those men brought back the chest that contained the Ten Commandments. [They thought that if they did that, Yahweh would help them. They believed that] Yahweh sat on a throne between the statues of winged creatures [that were on top of] the chest that Yahweh Almighty [had given them]. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, went with them.

5 Als die Bundeslade des Herrn ins Lager kam, erhob ganz Israel lauten Jubel, daß der Boden dröhnte.

When the Israeli people saw [the men bringing] the box into their camp, they were so happy that they shouted loudly. They shouted so loudly that they made the ground shake!

6 Die Philister aber hörten das schallende Jubelgeschrei und fragten: "Was bedeutet dieser laute Jubel im Lager der Hebräer?" Da erfuhren sie, daß die Lade des Herrn ins Lager gekommen sei.

The Philistines asked, “What are the people in the Hebrew camp shouting about?” Someone told them that they were shouting because the chest that contained the Ten Commandments of Yahweh had been brought to them.

7 Da fürchteten sich die Philister und sprachen: "Ein Gott ist zu ihnen ins Lager gekommen." Und sie sprachen: "Wehe uns! So ist es noch nie gewesen.

Then the Philistines became very afraid. They said, “One of the Israelis’ gods has come into their camp [to help them] We are in big trouble now! Nothing like this has happened to us before!

8 Wehe uns! Wer rettet uns aus der Hand dieser mächtigen Götter? Das sind die gleichen Götter, die Ägypten mit allerlei Plagen verheerend geschlagen haben.

(Who can/Can anyone) save us from their powerful gods [RHQ]? They are the gods who struck the people of Egypt with many plagues [before the Israelis left Egypt and traveled] through the desert.

9 Haltet euch tapfer und seid Männer, ihr Philister, daß ihr nicht den Hebräern dienet, wie sie euch gedient haben! Seid denn Männer und kämpfet!"

You Philistine men, be courageous! Fight very hard! If you do not do that, [they will defeat us, and then] you will become their slaves, just like they have been our slaves previously!”

10 Da kämpften die Philister. Israel aber unterlag und floh, jeder in sein Zelt. Und so ward die Niederlage sehr groß. Von Israel fielen 30.000 Mann, lauter Fußvolk.

So the Philistine men fought very hard, and they defeated the Israelis. They killed 30,000 Israeli soldiers, and the other Israeli soldiers fled and ran away to their tents.

11 Auch die Gotteslade ward erbeutet, und die beiden Elisöhne Chophni und Pinechas waren gefallen.

The Philistines captured the sacred chest, and they killed Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas.

12 Da lief ein Mann von Benjamin vom Walplatz und kam am selben Tage nach Silo, die Kleider zerrissen und Staub auf dem Kopfe.

On that same day, one man of the tribe [descended from] Benjamin tore his clothes and threw dirt on his head [to show that he was very sad]. He ran from the place where the armies were fighting, and he arrived at Shiloh late [that afternoon].

13 Als er ankam, saß Eli auf dem Stuhle nahe am Wege und spähte. Denn sein Herz bangte um die Lade Gottes. Als der Mann aber kam und der Stadt die Kunde brachte, schrie die ganze Stadt.

Eli was waiting beside the road. [He wanted to hear news about the battle, and] he was also very anxious to know if anything bad had happened to God’s sacred chest. When the messenger arrived and told people what had happened, everyone in the town started to cry loudly.

14 Eli hörte das laute Geschrei und fragte: "Was bedeutet dies Geschrei der Menge?" Da kam der Mann herangeeilt und brachte Eli die Kunde.

Eli asked, “Why are they making all that noise?” The messenger ran over to Eli and told him the news.

15 Achtundneunzig Jahre alt war Eli, und seine Augen waren starr, und er konnte nicht mehr sehen.

At that time, Eli was 98 years old, and he was blind.

16 Der Mann sprach zu Eli: "Ich bin der, der vom Walplatz kommt. Ich bin heute von dem Walplatz geflohen." Da fragte er: "Wie ist es gegangen, mein Sohn?".

The messenger said to Eli, “I have just come from where the armies were fighting. I left there earlier today.” Eli asked, “What happened?”

17 Da antwortete der Bote und sprach: "Israel ist vor den Philistern geflohen. Dazu hat das Volk eine große Niederlage erlitten. Auch deine beiden Söhne Chophni und Pinechas sind gefallen, und die Gotteslade ist genommen worden."

The man replied, “The Philistines defeated our Israeli army. They killed thousands of our soldiers, and the others ran away. The Philistines killed your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They also captured God’s sacred chest.”

18 Als er aber die Gotteslade nannte, fiel jener rücklings vom Stuhle durch die Tür, brach das Genick und starb. Denn der Mann war alt und schwer. Er hatte Israel vierzig Jahre gerichtet.

Eli was very old, and he was very fat; and when he heard what had happened to the sacred chest, he fell backward from his chair beside the town gate. His neck was broken and he died. He had led the Israeli people for 40 years before he died.

19 Seine Schwiegertochter, des Pinechas Weib, war hochschwanger. Sie hörte nun die Kunde vom Verlust der Gotteslade und vom Tod ihres Schwiegervaters und ihres Mannes. Da sank sie hin und gebar. Denn die Wehen hatten sie überrascht.

The wife/widow of Eli’s son Phinehas was pregnant, and it was almost time for her to give birth to her baby. When she heard that God’s sacred chest had been captured and that her husband and her father-in-law were dead, her labor pains suddenly began. She quickly gave birth to a boy.

20 Als sie zum Sterben kam, sprachen die umstellenden Weiber: "Fürchte dich nicht! Du hast einen Sohn geboren." Sie aber gab keine Antwort und achtete nicht darauf,

The women who were helping her tried to encourage her by saying to her, “You have given birth to a son!” But she did not pay any attention [DOU] to what they said.

21 sondern nannte den Knaben Ikabod. Sie sagte: "Dahin ist Israels Ehrenpreis", wegen des Verlustes der Gotteslade, ihres Schwiegervaters und ihres Mannes.

She named the boy Ichabod, which means ‘no glory’, because she said, “[God’s] glory has departed from Israel.” She said that because God’s sacred chest had been captured and because her husband and her father-in-law had died.

22 So sprach sie also: "Dahin ist Israels Ehrenpreis; denn die Gotteslade ist genommen."

She said, “[God’s] glory has left Israel, because God’s sacred chest has been captured!” And then she died.