1 Samuel 8
1 When Samuel became old, he appointed his two sons, Joel and Abijah, to lead/rule the people of Israel.
| וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר זָקֵ֖ן שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־בָּנָ֛יו שֹׁפְטִ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
2 They judged people’s disputes/cases in Beersheba [town].
| וַיְהִ֞י שֶׁם־בְּנֹ֤ו הַבְּכֹור֙ יֹואֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם מִשְׁנֵ֖הוּ אֲבִיָּ֑ה שֹׁפְטִ֖ים בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃ |
3 But they were not like their father. They wanted only to get a lot of money. They accepted bribes, and they did not make honest decisions about people’s disputes/cases.
| וְלֹֽא־הָלְכ֤וּ בָנָיו֙ בְּדַרְכֹו (בִּדְרָכָ֔יו) וַיִּטּ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַבָּ֑צַע וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־שֹׁ֔חַד וַיַּטּ֖וּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ פ |
4 Finally, the Israeli leaders met at Ramah [town to discuss the matter] with Samuel.
| וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ כֹּ֖ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הָרָמָֽתָה׃ |
5 They said to him, “Listen! You are now old, and your sons are not like you. Appoint a king to rule over us, like the kings that other countries have!”
| וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֽׂימָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִֽם׃ |
6 Samuel was very unhappy with them for requesting that, so he prayed to Yahweh about it.
| וַיֵּ֤רַע הַדָּבָר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמְר֔וּ תְּנָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֖לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֑נוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃ פ |
7 Yahweh replied, “Do what they have requested you to do. But ([do not think/the truth is not]) that you are the one whom they are really rejecting. I have been their king, and I am the one they are really rejecting.
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמַע֙ בְּקֹ֣ול הָעָ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אֹֽתְךָ֙ מָאָ֔סוּ כִּֽי־אֹתִ֥י מָאֲס֖וּ מִמְּלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
8 Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have rejected me, and they have worshiped other gods. And now they are also rejecting you in the same way.
| כְּכָֽל־הַמַּעֲשִׂ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֗וּ מִיֹּום֩ הַעֲלֹתִ֨י אֹתָ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ וְעַד־הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַזְבֻ֔נִי וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים כֵּ֛ן הֵ֥מָּה עֹשִׂ֖ים גַּם־לָֽךְ׃ |
9 Do what they are asking you to do. But warn/tell them about how their kings will act toward them!”
| וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹולָ֑ם אַ֗ךְ כִּֽי־הָעֵ֤ד תָּעִיד֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ס |
10 So Samuel told those people what Yahweh had said.
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה אֶל־הָעָ֕ם הַשֹּׁאֲלִ֥ים מֵאִתֹּ֖ו מֶֽלֶךְ׃ ס |
11 He said, “If a king rules over you, this is what he will do to you: He will force many of your sons to join the army. He will make [some of] them run in front of his chariots [to clear people out of his way].
| וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לֹו֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתֹּ֣ו וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתֹּֽו׃ |
12 [Some of] them will be commanders of his soldiers, but others will work for him like slaves. He will force some of them to plow his fields and [then later] harvest his crops. He will force others to make his weapons and equipment for his chariots.
| וְלָשׂ֣וּם לֹ֔ו שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ חֲרִישֹׁו֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִירֹ֔ו וְלַעֲשֹׂ֥ות כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתֹּ֖ו וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבֹּֽו׃ |
13 The king will take [some of] your daughters [from you and force them] to make perfumes for him and cook food for him and bake [bread for him].
| וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּחֹ֥ות וּלְטַבָּחֹ֖ות וּלְאֹפֹֽות׃ |
14 He will take your best fields and vineyards and olive tree groves/orchards, and give them to his own officials.
| וְאֶת־שְׂ֠דֹֽותֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטֹּובִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ |
15 He will take a tenth of your harvests and distribute it among the officers and servants [who work in] his [palace].
| וְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ |
16 He will take from you your male and female servants, your best cattle and donkeys, and force them to work for him.
| וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְחֹ֨ותֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטֹּובִ֛ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹורֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָׂ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתֹּֽו׃ |
17 He will take one tenth of your sheep and goats. And you will become his slaves!
| צֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־לֹ֥ו לַעֲבָדִֽים׃ |
18 When that time comes, you will complain loudly to the king, the king that you yourselves have chosen, but Yahweh will not (pay attention to/help) you.”
| וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיֹּ֥ום הַהֽוּא׃ |
19 But the people refused to pay attention to what Samuel said. They said, “We do not [care what you say]! We want a king!
| וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּקֹ֣ול שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ׃ |
20 We want to be like the other nations. We want a king to rule us and to lead our soldiers when they go to fight.”
| וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃ |
21 When Samuel told Yahweh what the people had said,
| וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵ֖ם בְּאָזְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ |
22 Yahweh replied, “Do what they are telling you to do. Give them a king!” [So Samuel agreed], and then he sent the people home.
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙ שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹולָ֔ם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם מֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֹֽו׃ פ |
