1 Samuelsboken 4
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)
Krig mot filistéerna
Filistéerna tar Guds ark
4 Samuels ord kom så till hela Israel. Vid den tiden drog Israel ut i krig mot filistéerna. Den israelitiska armén slog läger nära Even Haeser, medan filistéerna slog läger vid Afek. 2 Sedan ställde filistéerna upp till strid och kampen blev hård. Filistéerna besegrade Israel och dödade 4 000 av dem på slagfältet. 3 När Israels armé återvände till lägret, sa folkets äldste: ”Varför har Herren låtit oss lida ett sådant nederlag mot filistéerna i dag?”
”Låt oss hämta Herrens förbundsark från Shilo”, föreslog de, ”att vara ibland oss och rädda oss från våra fiender!” 4 De lät hämta härskarornas Herres förbundsark, hans, som har sin tron mellan keruberna[a]. Elis söner Hofni och Pinechas följde också med Guds förbundsark.
5 När Herrens förbundsark kom till lägret, ropade israeliterna så högt av glädje att marken skakade. 6 Då frågade filistéerna: ”Vad är det för jubelrop i hebréernas läger?” När de fick veta att det var för att Herrens ark hade anlänt, 7 greps de av panik. ”Gud[b] har kommit in i deras läger”, ropade de. ”Ve oss! Något sådant har vi aldrig råkat ut för förut! 8 Ve oss! Vem kan rädda oss från denne mäktige Gud,[c] han som slog egypterna med alla slags plågor i öknen? 9 Men fatta mod, ni filistéer, var som män! Kämpa som män, annars blir vi hebréernas slavar, precis som de har varit våra.”
10 Filistéerna kämpade och än en gång blev israeliterna besegrade och var och en flydde till sina tält. Deras förluster blev stora, 30 000 man dödades. 11 Guds ark blev tagen och Elis båda söner Hofni och Pinechas dödades.
12 Redan samma dag sprang en man från Benjamins stam från slagfältet till Shilo dit han anlände före kvällen. Hans kläder var sönderrivna och han hade hällt jord på huvudet.[d] 13 När han kom till staden, satt Eli på en stol och väntade vid sidan av vägen, för han var djupt orolig för Guds ark. Och när budbäraren anlände och berättade vad som hade hänt, höjdes ett stort klagorop i staden. 14 ”Vad är det för oväsen?” frågade Eli. Budbäraren skyndade då genast fram till Eli och berättade. 15 Eli var nu nittioåtta år gammal och kunde inte längre se. 16 ”Jag kommer just från slagfältet, jag har flytt därifrån i dag”, berättade han för Eli. ”Vad har hänt, min son?” frågade Eli. 17 Budbäraren svarade: ”Israeliterna har flytt för filistéerna, armén har lidit svåra förluster. Dina båda söner Hofni och Pinechas har också dödats och Guds ark har blivit tagen.”
18 När budbäraren nämnde Guds ark, föll Eli baklänges från sin stol bredvid porten, bröt nacken och dog, för han var både gammal och tung. Han hade då varit domare i Israel i fyrtio år.
19 Elis svärdotter, Pinechas hustru, var gravid och skulle snart föda. När hon hörde att Guds ark hade blivit tagen och att både hennes man och hennes svärfar var döda, började plötsligt hennes värkar och hon födde sitt barn. 20 Hon var döende. Kvinnorna omkring henne sa: ”Var inte rädd! Du har fått en pojke.” Men hon reagerade inte. 21 Sedan kallade hon pojken I-Kavod[e], för hon sa: ”Israels härlighet är borta”, eftersom Guds ark var borta och hennes svärfar och man döda. 22 Hon sa: ”Härligheten har lämnat Israel, för Guds ark är borta.”
1 Samuel 4
Good News Translation
The Capture of the Covenant Box
4 At that time the Philistines gathered to go to war against Israel, so[a] the Israelites set out to fight them. The Israelites set up their camp at Ebenezer and the Philistines at Aphek. 2 The Philistines attacked, and after fierce fighting they defeated the Israelites and killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the survivors came back to camp, the leaders of Israel said, “Why did the Lord let the Philistines defeat us today? Let's go and bring the Lord's Covenant Box from Shiloh, so that he[b] will go with us and save us from our enemies.” 4 (A)So they sent messengers to Shiloh and got the Covenant Box of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned above the winged creatures.[c] And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, came along with the Covenant Box.
5 When the Covenant Box arrived, the Israelites gave such a loud shout of joy that the earth shook. 6 The Philistines heard the shouting and said, “Listen to all that shouting in the Hebrew camp! What does it mean?” When they found out that the Lord's Covenant Box had arrived in the Hebrew camp, 7 they were afraid, and said, “A god has come into their camp! We're lost! Nothing like this has ever happened to us before! 8 Who can save us from those powerful gods? They are the gods who slaughtered the Egyptians in the desert! 9 Be brave, Philistines! Fight like men, or we will become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they were our slaves. So fight like men!”
10 The Philistines fought hard and defeated the Israelites, who went running to their homes. There was a great slaughter: thirty thousand Israelite soldiers were killed. 11 God's Covenant Box was captured, and Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were both killed.
The Death of Eli
12 A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran all the way from the battlefield to Shiloh and arrived there the same day. To show his grief, he had torn his clothes and put dirt on his head. 13 Eli, who was very worried about the Covenant Box, was sitting in his seat beside the road, staring. The man spread the news throughout the town, and everyone cried out in fear. 14 Eli heard the noise and asked, “What is all this noise about?” The man hurried to Eli to tell him the news. (15 Eli was now ninety-eight years old and almost completely blind.) 16 The man said, “I have escaped from the battle and have run all the way here today.”
Eli asked him, “What happened, my son?”
17 The messenger answered, “Israel ran away from the Philistines; it was a terrible defeat for us! Besides that, your sons Hophni and Phinehas were killed, and God's Covenant Box was captured!”
18 When the man mentioned the Covenant Box, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He was so old and fat that the fall broke his neck, and he died. He had been a leader in Israel for forty years.
The Death of the Widow of Phinehas
19 Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant, and it was almost time for her baby to be born. When she heard that God's Covenant Box had been captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she suddenly went into labor and gave birth. 20 As she was dying, the women helping her said to her, “Be brave! You have a son!” But she paid no attention and did not answer. 21 She named the boy Ichabod,[d] explaining, “God's glory has left Israel”—referring to the capture of the Covenant Box and the death of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 “God's glory has left Israel,” she said, “because God's Covenant Box has been captured.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 4:1 One ancient translation the Philistines … so; Hebrew does not have these words.
- 1 Samuel 4:3 he; or it.
- 1 Samuel 4:4 See Word List.
- 1 Samuel 4:21 This name in Hebrew means “no glory.”
1 Samuel 4
New American Standard Bible
Philistines Take the Ark in Victory
4 So the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle, and they camped beside (A)Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped in (B)Aphek. 2 Then the Philistines drew up in battle formation to meet Israel. When the battle [a]spread, Israel was [b]defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “(C)Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? (D)Let’s take the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh, so that He may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent men to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord of armies (E)who is enthroned above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord was coming into the camp, (F)all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 And when 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?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 So the Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp!” And they said, “(G)Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who will save us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 (H)Take courage and be men, Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, (I)as they have been slaves to you; so be men and fight!”
10 So the Philistines fought and (J)Israel was defeated, and (K)every man fled to his tent; and the defeat was very great, for thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell. 11 Moreover, the ark of God was taken; and (L)the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
12 Now a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line and came to Shiloh the same day with (M)his clothes torn, and [c]dust on his head. 13 When he came, behold, (N)Eli was sitting on his seat [d]by the road keeping watch, because his heart was anxious about the ark of God. And the man came to give a report in the city, and all the city cried out. 14 When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the noise of this commotion mean?” Then the man came hurriedly and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and (O)his eyes were [e]fixed and he could not see. 16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle line. Indeed, I escaped from the battle line today.” And he said, “(P)How are things, my son?” 17 Then the one who brought the news replied, “Israel has fled before the Philistines and there has also been a great defeat among the people, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas are also dead; and the ark of God has been taken.” 18 When he mentioned the ark of God, [f](Q)Eli fell off the seat backward beside the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for [g]he was old and heavy. And so he judged Israel for forty years.
19 Now his daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, was pregnant and about to give birth; and when she heard the news that the ark of God had been taken and that her father-in-law and her husband had died, she kneeled down and gave birth, because her pains came upon her. 20 And about the time of her death the women who were standing by her said to her, “(R)Do not be afraid, for you have given birth to a son.” But she did not answer or pay attention. 21 And she named the boy [h]Ichabod, saying, “(S)The glory has departed from Israel,” because (T)the ark of God had been taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 So she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been taken.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 4:2 Or was over
- 1 Samuel 4:2 Lit struck before
- 1 Samuel 4:12 Lit soil
- 1 Samuel 4:13 LXX beside the gate watching the road
- 1 Samuel 4:15 I.e., possibly unable to focus
- 1 Samuel 4:18 Lit he
- 1 Samuel 4:18 Lit the man
- 1 Samuel 4:21 I.e., no glory, or where is the glory?
Swedish Contemporary Bible (nuBibeln) Copyright © 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
