1 וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־בָּנָיו שֹׁפְטִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל | 1 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons judges over Israel. |
2 וַיְהִי שֶׁם־בְּנֹו הַבְּכֹור יֹואֵל וְשֵׁם מִשְׁנֵהוּ אֲבִיָּה שֹׁפְטִים בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע | 2 His first-born was named Joel, his second son, Abijah; they judged at Beer-sheba. |
3 וְלֹא־הָלְכוּ בָנָיו [בְּדַרְכֹו כ] (בִּדְרָכָיו ק) וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע וַיִּקְחוּ־שֹׁחַד וַיַּטּוּ מִשְׁפָּט׃ פ | 3 His sons did not follow his example but sought illicit gain and accepted bribes, perverting justice. |
4 וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ כֹּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתָה | 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 שִׂימָה־לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִם | 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 אָמְרוּ תְּנָה־לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־יְהוָה׃ פ | 6 Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the LORD, however, |
7 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקֹול הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי־אֹתִי מָאֲסוּ מִמְּלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם | 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 כְּכָל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ מִיֹּום הַעֲלֹתִי אֹתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד־הַיֹּום הַזֶּה וַיַּעַזְבֻנִי וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים כֵּן הֵמָּה עֹשִׂים גַּם־לָךְ | 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 בְּקֹולָם אַךְ כִּי־הָעֵד תָּעִיד בָּהֶם וְהִגַּדְתָּ לָהֶם מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם׃ ס | 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 כָּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהוָה אֶל־הָעָם הַשֹּׁאֲלִים מֵאִתֹּו מֶלֶךְ׃ ס | 10 Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full to those who were asking him for a king. |
11 וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְשָׂם לֹו בְּמֶרְכַּבְתֹּו וּבְפָרָשָׁיו וְרָצוּ לִפְנֵי מֶרְכַּבְתֹּו | 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 לֹו שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְלַחֲרֹשׁ חֲרִישֹׁו וְלִקְצֹר קְצִירֹו וְלַעֲשֹׂות כְּלֵי־מִלְחַמְתֹּו וּכְלֵי רִכְבֹּו | 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־בְּנֹותֵיכֶם יִקָּח לְרַקָּחֹות וּלְטַבָּחֹות וּלְאֹפֹות | 13 He will use your daughters as ointment-makers, as cooks, and as bakers. |
14 וְאֶתשְׂ־דֹותֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶם וְזֵיתֵיכֶם הַטֹּובִים יִקָּח וְנָתַן לַעֲבָדָיו | 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 וְלַעֲבָדָיו | 15 He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. |
16 וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם וְאֶת־שִׁפְחֹותֵיכֶם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶם הַטֹּובִים וְאֶת־חֲמֹורֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְעָשָׂה לִמְלַאכְתֹּו | 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 תִּהְיוּ־לֹו לַעֲבָדִים | 17 He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves. |
18 וּזְעַקְתֶּם בַּיֹּום הַהוּא מִלִּפְנֵי מַלְכְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם לָכֶם וְלֹא־יַעֲנֶה יְהוָה אֶתְכֶם בַּיֹּום הַהוּא | 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 בְּקֹול שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא כִּי אִם־מֶלֶךְ יִהְיֶה עָלֵינוּ | 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 כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִם וּשְׁפָטָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְיָצָא לְפָנֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵנוּ | 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 כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וַיְדַבְּרֵם בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוָה׃ פ | 21 When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say, he repeated it to the LORD, |
22 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקֹולָם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכוּ אִישׁ לְעִירֹו׃ פ | 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." |