| 1 וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־בָּנָיו שֹׁפְטִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | 1 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel. |
| 2 וַיְהִי שֶׁם־בְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר יוֹאֵל וְשֵׁם מִשְׁנֵהוּ אֲבִיָּה שֹׁפְטִים בִּבְאֵר שָֽׁבַע׃ | 2 His first-born was named Joel, his second son, Abijah; they judged at Beer-sheba. |
| 3 וְלֹֽא־הָלְכוּ בָנָיו בִּדְרָכָו וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע וַיִּקְחוּ־שֹׁחַד וַיַּטּוּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ | 3 His sons did not follow his example but sought illicit gain and accepted bribes, perverting justice. |
| 4 וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצוּ כֹּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָֽתָה׃ | 4 Therefore all the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah |
| 5 וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אַתָּה זָקַנְתָּ וּבָנֶיךָ לֹא הָלְכוּ בִּדְרָכֶיךָ עַתָּה שִֽׂימָה־לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשׇׁפְטֵנוּ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ | 5 and said to him, "Now that you are old, and your sons do not follow your example, appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us." |
| 6 וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי שְׁמוּאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר אָֽמְרוּ תְּנָה־לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשׇׁפְטֵנוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃ | 6 Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the LORD, however, |
| 7 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹל הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי לֹא אֹֽתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי־אֹתִי מָאֲסוּ מִמְּלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 7 who said in answer: "Grant the people's every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king. |
| 8 כְּכׇֽל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ מִיּוֹם הַעֲלֹתִי אוֹתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיַּעַזְבֻנִי וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים כֵּן הֵמָּה עֹשִׂים גַּם־לָֽךְ׃ | 8 As they have treated me constantly from the day I brought them up from Egypt to this day, deserting me and worshiping strange gods, so do they treat you too. |
| 9 וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם אַךְ כִּֽי־הָעֵד תָּעִיד בָּהֶם וְהִגַּדְתָּ לָהֶם מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | 9 Now grant their request; but at the same time, warn them solemnly and inform them of the rights of the king who will rule them." |
| 10 וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה אֶל־הָעָם הַשֹּׁאֲלִים מֵאִתּוֹ מֶֽלֶךְ׃ | 10 Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king. |
| 11 וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה יִֽהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְשָׂם לוֹ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו וְרָצוּ לִפְנֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃ | 11 He told them: "The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. |
| 12 וְלָשׂוּם לוֹ שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְלַחֲרֹשׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ וְלִקְצֹר קְצִירוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתּוֹ וּכְלֵי רִכְבּֽוֹ׃ | 12 He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. |
| 13 וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם יִקָּח לְרַקָּחוֹת וּלְטַבָּחוֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת׃ | 13 He will use your daughters as ointment-makers, as cooks, and as bakers. |
| 14 וְאֶת־שְׂדֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶם וְזֵיתֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים יִקָּח וְנָתַן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ | 14 He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. |
| 15 וְזַרְעֵיכֶם וְכַרְמֵיכֶם יַעְשֹׂר וְנָתַן לְסָרִיסָיו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ | 15 He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. |
| 16 וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים וְאֶת־חֲמוֹרֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְעָשָׂה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ | 16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. |
| 17 צֹאנְכֶם יַעְשֹׂר וְאַתֶּם תִּֽהְיוּ־לוֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃ | 17 He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. |
| 18 וּזְעַקְתֶּם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִלִּפְנֵי מַלְכְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם לָכֶם וְלֹא־יַעֲנֶה יְהֹוָה אֶתְכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהֽוּא׃ | 18 When this takes place, you will complain against the king whom you have chosen, but on that day the LORD will not answer you." |
| 19 וַיְמָאֲנוּ הָעָם לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא כִּי אִם־מֶלֶךְ יִֽהְיֶה עָלֵֽינוּ׃ | 19 The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel's warning and said, "Not so! There must be a king over us. |
| 20 וְהָיִינוּ גַם־אֲנַחְנוּ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם וּשְׁפָטָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְיָצָא לְפָנֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃ | 20 We too must be like other nations, with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare and fight our battles." |
| 21 וַיִּשְׁמַע שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵם בְּאׇזְנֵי יְהֹוָֽה׃ | 21 When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the LORD, |
| 22 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכוּ אִישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃ | 22 who then said to him, "Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them." Samuel thereupon said to the men of Israel, "Each of you go to his own city." |
