1 Samuel 8
1 When Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
| וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־בָּנָיו שֹׁפְטִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beersheba.
| וַיְהִי שֶׁם־בְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר יוֹאֵל וְשֵׁם מִשְׁנֵהוּ אֲבִיָּה שֹׁפְטִים בִּבְאֵר שָֽׁבַע׃ |
3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but chased after dishonest gain. They took bribes and perverted justice.
| וְלֹֽא־הָלְכוּ בָנָיו בִּדְרָכָו וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע וַיִּקְחוּ־שֹׁחַד וַיַּטּוּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ |
4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.
| וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצוּ כֹּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָֽתָה׃ |
5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.”
| וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אַתָּה זָקַנְתָּ וּבָנֶיךָ לֹא הָלְכוּ בִּדְרָכֶיךָ עַתָּה שִֽׂימָה־לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשׇׁפְטֵנוּ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃ |
6 But it displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to Yahweh.
| וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי שְׁמוּאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר אָֽמְרוּ תְּנָה־לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשׇׁפְטֵנוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה׃ |
7 Yahweh said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in everything they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹל הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי לֹא אֹֽתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי־אֹתִי מָאֲסוּ מִמְּלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
8 They are acting now the same as they did since the day I brought them out of Egypt, forsaking me, and serving other gods, and so they are also doing to you.
| כְּכׇֽל־הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂוּ מִיּוֹם הַעֲלֹתִי אוֹתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיַּעַזְבֻנִי וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים כֵּן הֵמָּה עֹשִׂים גַּם־לָֽךְ׃ |
9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know the way the king will rule over them.”
| וְעַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם אַךְ כִּֽי־הָעֵד תָּעִיד בָּהֶם וְהִגַּדְתָּ לָהֶם מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ |
10 So Samuel told all the words of Yahweh to the people who were asking for a king.
| וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה אֶל־הָעָם הַשֹּׁאֲלִים מֵאִתּוֹ מֶֽלֶךְ׃ |
11 He said, “This will be the practice of the king who will reign over you. He will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots.
| וַיֹּאמֶר זֶה יִֽהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְשָׂם לוֹ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו וְרָצוּ לִפְנֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ׃ |
12 He will appoint for himself captains of thousands and captains of fifties. He will make some plow his ground, some reap his harvest, and some make his weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.
| וְלָשׂוּם לוֹ שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים וְלַחֲרֹשׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ וְלִקְצֹר קְצִירוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתּוֹ וּכְלֵי רִכְבּֽוֹ׃ |
13 He will also take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers.
| וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם יִקָּח לְרַקָּחוֹת וּלְטַבָּחוֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת׃ |
14 He will take the very best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive orchards, and give them to his servants.
| וְאֶת־שְׂדֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶם וְזֵיתֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים יִקָּח וְנָתַן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ |
15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give to his officers and his servants.
| וְזַרְעֵיכֶם וְכַרְמֵיכֶם יַעְשֹׂר וְנָתַן לְסָרִיסָיו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃ |
16 He will take your male servants and your female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys; he will put them all to work for him.
| וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים וְאֶת־חֲמוֹרֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְעָשָׂה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ׃ |
17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves.
| צֹאנְכֶם יַעְשֹׂר וְאַתֶּם תִּֽהְיוּ־לוֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃ |
18 Then on that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves; but Yahweh will not answer you on that day.”
| וּזְעַקְתֶּם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִלִּפְנֵי מַלְכְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם לָכֶם וְלֹא־יַעֲנֶה יְהֹוָה אֶתְכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהֽוּא׃ |
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel; they said, “No! There must be a king over us
| וַיְמָאֲנוּ הָעָם לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא כִּי אִם־מֶלֶךְ יִֽהְיֶה עָלֵֽינוּ׃ |
20 so that we might be like all the other nations, and so that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
| וְהָיִינוּ גַם־אֲנַחְנוּ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִם וּשְׁפָטָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְיָצָא לְפָנֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃ |
21 When Samuel heard all the words of the people he repeated them in the ears of Yahweh.
| וַיִּשְׁמַע שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵם בְּאׇזְנֵי יְהֹוָֽה׃ |
22 Yahweh said to Samuel, “Obey their voice and cause someone to be king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man must go to his own city.”
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכוּ אִישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ׃ |
