Filistieši atņem derības šķirstu
1 To Samuēls sacīja visam Israēlam. Israēls izgāja karā pret filistiešiem un uzslēja nometni pie Eben-Ezeras, bet filistieši – Afēkā. 2 Filistieši stājās kaujai pret Israēlu, kauja izvērsās, filistieši sakāva Israēlu. Kaujas ierindā uz lauka viņi nokāva apmēram četrus tūkstošus vīru. 3 Ļaudis atgriezās nometnē, un Israēla vecajie sacīja: “Kāpēc gan Kungs mūs šodien ir sakāvis filistiešu priekšā? Ņemsim no Šīlo sev līdzi Kunga derības šķirstu, lai viņš nāk mūsu vidū un glābj mūs no ienaidnieku nagiem.” 4 Un tauta sūtīja uz Šīlo, un no turienes tika atnests pār ķerubiem sēdošā Pulku Kunga derības šķirsts. Tur kopā ar Dieva derības šķirstu bija abi Ēlī dēli Hofnī un Pinhāss. 5 Kad Kunga derības šķirsts nonāca nometnē, viss Israēls izkliedza varenu kaujas saucienu, ka zeme nodrebēja! 6 Kad filistieši izdzirdēja kaujas saucienu, tie runāja: “Kas par varenu kaujas saucienu ebreju nometnē?!” Kad tie uzzināja, ka nometnē nonācis Kunga šķirsts, 7 filistieši izbijās un runāja, ka Dievs atnācis nometnē. Viņi teica: “Vai mums! Nekas tāds agrāk nav bijis! 8 Vai mums! Kas mūs glābs no šo dievu godības varas?! Tie ir dievi, kas visvisādi tuksnesī satrieca ēģiptiešus! 9 Saņemieties! Filistieši, esiet vīri, lai jums nav jāvergo ebrejiem, kā viņi vergoja jums! Jūs taču būsiet vīri un cīnīsieties!” 10 Filistieši sāka kauju, un Israēls tika sakauts, ikviens bēga uz savu telti. Tas bija milzum liels slaktiņš – Israēlam krita trīsdesmit tūkstoši kājnieku. 11 Dieva šķirsts tika paņemts, un abi Ēlī dēli – Hofnī un Pinhāss – gāja bojā.
Ēlī nāve
12 Kāds benjāminietis skrēja no kaujas ierindas un tajā pašā dienā nonāca Šīlo – viņa drēbes bija saplēstas un zeme uz galvas! 13 Kad viņš tur nonāca, redzi, Ēlī sēdēja uz krēsla pie ceļa, cieši raudzīdamies, jo viņa sirds drebēja par Dieva šķirstu. Kad tas vīrs nonāca ar vēsti pilsētā, visa pilsēta brēca. 14 Ēlī izdzirdēja kliegšanu un vaicāja: “Ko pūlis tā klaigā?” Tad vīrs steidza vēstīt Ēlī. 15 Ēlī bija deviņdesmit astoņus gadus vecs, un viņa acis bija nekustīgas, viņš nevarēja redzēt. 16 Vīrs sacīja Ēlī: “Es nāku no ierindas, es šodien atstāju kaujas ierindu.” Un tas vaicāja: “Kā tur gāja, mans dēls?” 17 Ziņnesis atbildēja: “Israēls bēga no filistiešiem, arī tautā milzum daudz krita, arī abi tavi dēli Hofnī un Pinhāss ir miruši. Un Dieva šķirsts ir atņemts!”
18 Tiklīdz viņš pieminēja Dieva šķirstu, Ēlī atmuguriski krita no krēsla uz vārtu pusi, salauza sprandu un nomira, jo viņš bija vecs un smags. Viņš bija Israēla soģis četrdesmit gadus. 19 Bet viņa vedeklai, Pinhāsa sievai, bija tuvu laiks dzemdēt. Kad viņa dzirdēja vēsti, ka Dieva šķirsts atņemts, ka viņas vīratēvs un arī vīrs miris, viņa saliecās un dzemdēja, jo viņu pārņēma sāpes. 20 Brīdī, kad viņa mira, sievas, kas stāvēja līdzās, teica: “Nebīsties, jo tu esi dzemdējusi dēlu!” Bet viņa nedz atbildēja, nedz ņēma vērā. 21 Tā nosauca zēnu Īhābods , sacīdama: “Godība atrauta Israēlam!” – tāpēc, ka Dieva šķirsts bija atņemts, un viņas vīratēva un vīra dēļ. 22 Viņa teica: “Godība atrauta Israēlam, jo Dieva šķirsts atņemts!”
The Capture of the Covenant Box
1 At that time the Philistines gathered to go to war against Israel, so 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 will go with us and save us from our enemies.” 4 So they sent messengers to Shiloh and got the Covenant Box of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned above the winged creatures. 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, 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.”
