The First Book of Samuel

4 And Samuel continue to talk to all the people of Israel.

Then Israel people go meet Phi·lisʹti·a people to fight war. Them gather near Eb·en·e′zer, and Phi·lisʹti·a people gather for A′phek. 2 Then Phi·lisʹti·a people arrange theirself to come fight Israel people, but the war no favor Israel people at all, and Phi·lisʹti·a people win them. Them kill about 4,000 Israel people for the field as them de fight the war. 3 When the people come back to the camp, the elders for Israel come talk say: “Why Jehovah allow Phi·lisʹti·a people win us today?* Make we go carry the ark of Jehovah agreement from Shi′loh, so that e go dey with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.” 4 So the people send some men go Shi′loh, and na from there them carry the ark of the agreement of Jehovah of armies, wey sitdown for im throne ontop* the cherubs. The two sons of E′li, wey be Hoph′ni and Phin′e·has, dey there too with the ark of the agreement of the true God.

5 As them just carry the ark of the agreement of Jehovah enter the camp, all Israel people start to shout well-well, sotey ground come de shake. 6 When Phi·lisʹti·a people hear the shout, them talk say: “Why Hebrew people de shout like this for their camp?” At last, them come know say Israel people don carry the Ark of Jehovah enter the camp. 7 So fear catch Phi·lisʹti·a people because them talk say: “God don enter the camp!” Them still talk say: “Our own don finish, because nothing like this don ever happen before! 8 Our own don finish! Who go save us from the hand of this God wey get power? Na this God use different-different way kill Egypt people for wilderness. 9 But Phi·lisʹti·a people, make una get strong heart and behave like men, so that una no go serve Hebrew people as them don serve una. Make una behave like men and fight!” 10 So Phi·lisʹti·a people fight and win Israel people and each of them run go im tent. Phi·lisʹti·a people kill them no be small; na 30,000 soldiers wey de use leg waka, die for Israel. 11 Apart from that one, Phi·lisʹti·a people carry the Ark of God go, and the two sons of E′li, wey be Hoph′ni and Phin′e·has, die.

12 One man from Benjamin run come from the place wey them de fight the war, and reach Shi′loh that day. Im cloths don tear and dust dey im head.* 13 When the man reach, E′li be sitdown for chair near road de look, because im heart no just settle at all because of the Ark of the true God. The man enter inside the city go talk wetin don happen, and the whole city start to cry. 14 When E′li hear as people de cry, e come ask say: “Wetin de cause this sound wey I de hear so?” The same man come rush enter and tell E′li wetin happen. 15 (That time, E′li dey 98 years, and e just open eye de look front, but e no de see anything.) 16 Then the man tell E′li say: “Na me be the person wey come from the place wey them de fight the war. Na today I run comot as them de fight.” So E′li ask-am say: “Wetin happen, my pikin?” 17 So the man wey bring the news talk say: “Israel people don run from Phi·lisʹti·a people, and them don kill plenty Israel people for the fight. Your two sons, Hoph′ni and Phin′e·has, don die too, and Phi·lisʹti·a people don still carry the Ark of the true God go.”

18 As the man just talk about the Ark of the true God, E′li wey sitdown for im chair near the gate, fall go back, break neck, and die, because e don old and e fat. E be don judge Israel for 40 years. 19 The wife of Phin′e·has im pikin, get belle and e remain small make e born. When e hear the news say Phi·lisʹti·a people don carry the Ark of the true God go, and say im husband papa and im husband don die, e bend, and labor just start and e born. 20 As e de die, the women wey stand near-am de tell-am say: “Make you no fear, because na boy you born.” E no answer them and e no put mind for wetin them de talk. 21 But e name the pikin Ich′a·bod,* and talk say: “Them don carry wetin de give Israel glory go another place.” E talk this one because of the Ark of the true God wey Phi·lisʹti·a people don carry and wetin happen to im husband papa and im husband. 22 E talk say: “Them don carry wetin de give Israel glory go another place, because them don carry the Ark of the true God go.”