Βασιλειῶν Αʹ 8
1 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἐγήρασεν Σαμουηλ καὶ κατέστησεν τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ δικαστὰς τῷ Ισραηλ
When Samuel grew old, he made his sons leaders over Israel.
2 καὶ ταῦτα τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ πρωτότοκος Ιωηλ καὶ ὄνομα τοῦ δευτέρου Αβια δικασταὶ ἐν Βηρσαβεε
His first son was named Joel, and his second son was named Abijah. They were rulers in Beersheba.
3 καὶ οὐκ ἐπορεύθησαν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐν ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξέκλιναν ὀπίσω τῆς συντελείας καὶ ἐλάμβανον δῶρα καὶ ἐξέκλινον δικαιώματα
However, his sons did not follow his ways. They were corrupt, making money by accepting bribes and perverting justice.
4 καὶ συναθροίζονται ἄνδρες Ισραηλ καὶ παραγίνονται εἰς Αρμαθαιμ πρὸς Σαμουηλ
So the elders of Israel all joined together and came to meet Samuel at Ramah.
5 καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ ἰδοὺ σὺ γεγήρακας καὶ οἱ υἱοί σου οὐ πορεύονται ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου καὶ νῦν κατάστησον ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς καθὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἔθνη
“Look here,” they told him, “you are old, and your sons do not follow your ways. Choose a king to rule over us like all the other nations.”
6 καὶ ἦν πονηρὸν τὸ ῥῆμα ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς Σαμουηλ ὡς εἶπαν δὸς ἡμῖν βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς καὶ προσηύξατο Σαμουηλ πρὸς κύριον
Samuel thought this was a bad idea when they said, “Give us a king to rule over us,” so he prayed to the Lord about it.
7 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Σαμουηλ ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ λαοῦ καθὰ ἂν λαλήσωσίν σοι ὅτι οὐ σὲ ἐξουθενήκασιν ἀλλ’ ἢ ἐμὲ ἐξουδενώκασιν τοῦ μὴ βασιλεύειν ἐπ’ αὐτῶν
“Do what the people tell you,” the Lord said to Samuel, “because it's not you they're rejecting, but me as their king.
8 κατὰ πάντα τὰ ποιήματα ἃ ἐποίησάν μοι ἀφ’ ἧς ἡμέρας ἀνήγαγον αὐτοὺς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης καὶ ἐγκατέλιπόν με καὶ ἐδούλευον θεοῖς ἑτέροις οὕτως αὐτοὶ ποιοῦσιν καὶ σοί
They're doing just as they have always done since I led them out of Egypt right up to now. They have abandoned me and worshiped other gods, and they're doing just the same to you.
9 καὶ νῦν ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν πλὴν ὅτι διαμαρτυρόμενος διαμαρτύρῃ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπαγγελεῖς αὐτοῖς τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ βασιλέως ὃς βασιλεύσει ἐπ’ αὐτούς
So do what they want, but give them a solemn warning—explain to them what a king will do when he rules over them.”
10 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πᾶν τὸ ῥῆμα κυρίου πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοὺς αἰτοῦντας παρ’ αὐτοῦ βασιλέα
Samuel repeated all that the Lord had said to the people asking him to give them a king.
11 καὶ εἶπεν τοῦτο ἔσται τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ βασιλέως ὃς βασιλεύσει ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς τοὺς υἱοὺς ὑμῶν λήμψεται καὶ θήσεται αὐτοὺς ἐν ἅρμασιν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἱππεῦσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ προτρέχοντας τῶν ἁρμάτων αὐτοῦ
“This is what a king will do when he rules over you,” he told them. “He will take your sons and make them serve as charioteers and horsemen, and to run as a guard in front of his chariot.
12 καὶ θέσθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτῷ χιλιάρχους καὶ ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ θερίζειν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τρυγᾶν τρυγητὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ποιεῖν σκεύη πολεμικὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ σκεύη ἁρμάτων αὐτοῦ
Some of them he will make commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some will have to plow his fields and reap his harvest. Some will be assigned to making weapons of war and chariot equipment.
13 καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ὑμῶν λήμψεται εἰς μυρεψοὺς καὶ εἰς μαγειρίσσας καὶ εἰς πεσσούσας
He will take your daughters and have them work as perfume-makers, cooks, and bakers.
14 καὶ τοὺς ἀγροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐλαιῶνας ὑμῶν τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς λήμψεται καὶ δώσει τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ
He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his officials.
15 καὶ τὰ σπέρματα ὑμῶν καὶ τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας ὑμῶν ἀποδεκατώσει καὶ δώσει τοῖς εὐνούχοις αὐτοῦ καὶ τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ
He will take a tenth of your grain harvest and the produce of your vineyards and allocate it to his chief officers and officials.
16 καὶ τοὺς δούλους ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς δούλας ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ βουκόλια ὑμῶν τὰ ἀγαθὰ καὶ τοὺς ὄνους ὑμῶν λήμψεται καὶ ἀποδεκατώσει εἰς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ
He will take your male servants and your female servants, and your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him.
17 καὶ τὰ ποίμνια ὑμῶν ἀποδεκατώσει καὶ ὑμεῖς ἔσεσθε αὐτῷ δοῦλοι
He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his slaves.
18 καὶ βοήσεσθε ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐκ προσώπου βασιλέως ὑμῶν οὗ ἐξελέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς καὶ οὐκ ἐπακούσεται κύριος ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐξελέξασθε ἑαυτοῖς βασιλέα
On that day you will plead to be rescued from the king you have chosen, but the Lord won't answer you then.”
19 καὶ οὐκ ἠβούλετο ὁ λαὸς ἀκοῦσαι τοῦ Σαμουηλ καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ οὐχί ἀλλ’ ἢ βασιλεὺς ἔσται ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς
But the people refused to listen to what Samuel said. “No!” they insisted. “We want our own king!
20 καὶ ἐσόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς κατὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη καὶ δικάσει ἡμᾶς βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐξελεύσεται ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν καὶ πολεμήσει τὸν πόλεμον ἡμῶν
That way we can be like all the other nations. Our king will rule us, and will lead us when we go out to fight our battles.”
21 καὶ ἤκουσεν Σαμουηλ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ὦτα κυρίου
Samuel listened to everything the people said and repeated it to the Lord.
22 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Σαμουηλ ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν καὶ βασίλευσον αὐτοῖς βασιλέα καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ πρὸς ἄνδρας Ισραηλ ἀποτρεχέτω ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ
The Lord told Samuel, “Do what they say and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the Israelites, “Go back to your homes.”
