1E veio a palavra de Samuel a todo o Israel. Nesse tempo, Israel estava em guerra com os filisteus. O exército israelita estava acampado perto de Ebenezer e os filisteus junto de Afeque.2Estes derrotaram Israel, matando 4000 dos seus soldados.3Depois do combate, o exército de Israel regressou ao acampamento e os seus anciãos interrogavam-se por que razão o SENHOR os teria conduzido àquela derrota: “Vamos trazer para aqui a arca da aliança, desde Silo. Se a trouxermos connosco, o SENHOR estará no nosso meio e nos salvará seguramente dos nossos inimigos.”4Então mandaram vir a arca da aliança do SENHOR dos exércitos que habita entronizado acima dos querubins. Hofni e Fineias, os filhos de Eli, vieram com ela até ao campo da batalha.5Quando os israelitas viram chegar a arca da aliança do SENHOR, deram um brado de alegria tão forte que até a terra tremeu!6“O que é que se passa?”, perguntaram os filisteus. “Para que foi aquele grito no campo dos hebreus?” Quando souberam que a arca do SENHOR tinha chegado ali,7entraram em pânico. “Um deus* veio para o campo deles!”, gritavam. “Ai de nós, pois nunca enfrentámos uma situação destas!8Quem é que nos vai salvar destes poderosos deuses de Israel? São os mesmos que destruíram o Egito com pragas, quando Israel lá morava.9Lutem agora, ó filisteus, como nunca o fizeram antes, pois doutra forma tornar-se-ão seus escravos, tal como eles já foram nossos escravos!”10Por isso, os filisteus lutaram desesperadamente e Israel foi novamente derrotado. Dos homens de Israel morreram 30 000 nesse dia e o restante fugiu para as tendas.11A arca de Deus foi capturada e Hofni e Fineias foram mortos.
A morte de Eli
12Um homem da tribo de Benjamim veio a correr da batalha e chegou nesse mesmo dia a Silo com a roupa rasgada e a cabeça coberta de terra.13Eli 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. O mensageiro apressou-se a ir ter com Eli, dando-lhe a conhecer o que sucedera.15Eli era um ancião já de 98 anos e perdera totalmente a vista.16“Acabei de chegar da batalha; vim hoje de lá”, disse a Eli. “Israel fugiu diante dos filisteus, foi derrotado e milhares de tropas israelitas morreram no campo de batalha. Hofni e Fineias também foram mortos e a arca capturada.”18Quando 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 muito velho e pesado. Eli julgou a Israel durante 40 anos.19Quando a nora de Eli, a mulher de Fineias, que estava grávida, ouviu dizer que a arca fora tomada, que o marido tinha sido morto e o sogro falecera, o processo de dar à luz precipitou-se e começou a sentir as dores de parto,20ao mesmo tempo que a vida se ia apagando. Antes de morrer, as mulheres que a assistiam disseram-lhe que estava tudo bem e que tinha tido um rapaz. Ela nada respondeu nem vibrou com a notícia.21Apenas murmurou: “Chamem ao menino Icabode (foi-se a glória), porque foi-se a glória de Israel.”22Deu esse nome ao bebé, porque a arca de Deus tinha sido capturada e o marido e o sogro tinham morrido.
English Standard Version
The Philistines Capture the Ark
1And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines. They encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek.2The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle spread, Israel was defeated before the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle.3And when the people came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that it* may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”4So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.5As soon as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded.6And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, “What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” And when they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp,7the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “A god has come into the camp.” And they said, “Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before.8Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness.9Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.”10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home. And there was a very great slaughter, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.11And the ark of God was captured, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
The Death of Eli
12A man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and with dirt on his head.13When he arrived, 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 the news, all the city cried out.14When Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, “What is this uproar?” Then the man hurried and came and told Eli.15Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes were set so that he could not see.16And the man said to Eli, “I am he who has come from the battle; I fled from the battle today.” And he said, “How did it go, my son?”17He who brought the news answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has also been a great defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God has been captured.”18As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.19Now his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, about to give birth. And when she heard the news that the ark of God was captured, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed and gave birth, for her pains came upon her.20And about the time of her death the women attending her said to her, “Do not be afraid, for you have borne a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention.21And she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed* from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband.22And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
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