1 שְׁמוּאֵל 8

1 וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר זָקֵ֖ן שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־בָּנָ֛יו שֹׁפְטִ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

When Samuel grew old, he made his sons leaders over Israel.

2 וַיְהִ֞י שֶׁם־בְּנֹ֤ו הַבְּכֹור֙ יֹואֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם מִשְׁנֵ֖הוּ אֲבִיָּ֑ה שֹׁפְטִ֖ים בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע׃

His first son was named Joel, and his second son was named Abijah. They were rulers in Beersheba.

3 וְלֹֽא־הָלְכ֤וּ בָנָיו֙ בְּדַרְכֹו (בִּדְרָכָ֔יו) וַיִּטּ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַבָּ֑צַע וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־שֹׁ֔חַד וַיַּטּ֖וּ מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ פ

However, his sons did not follow his ways. They were corrupt, making money by accepting bribes and perverting justice.

4 וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ כֹּ֖ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הָרָמָֽתָה׃

So the elders of Israel all joined together and came to meet Samuel at Ramah.

5 וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֽׂימָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִֽם׃

“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 וַיֵּ֤רַע הַדָּבָר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמְר֔וּ תְּנָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֖לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֑נוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃ פ

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 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמַע֙ בְּקֹ֣ול הָעָ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א אֹֽתְךָ֙ מָאָ֔סוּ כִּֽי־אֹתִ֥י מָאֲס֖וּ מִמְּלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃

“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 כְּכָֽל־הַמַּעֲשִׂ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־עָשׂ֗וּ מִיֹּום֩ הַעֲלֹתִ֨י אֹתָ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ וְעַד־הַיֹּ֣ום הַזֶּ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַזְבֻ֔נִי וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים כֵּ֛ן הֵ֥מָּה עֹשִׂ֖ים גַּם־לָֽךְ׃

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 וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹולָ֑ם אַ֗ךְ כִּֽי־הָעֵ֤ד תָּעִיד֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ ס

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 וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה אֶל־הָעָ֕ם הַשֹּׁאֲלִ֥ים מֵאִתֹּ֖ו מֶֽלֶךְ׃ ס

Samuel repeated all that the Lord had said to the people asking him to give them a king.

11 וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לֹו֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתֹּ֣ו וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתֹּֽו׃

“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 וְלָשׂ֣וּם לֹ֔ו שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ חֲרִישֹׁו֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִירֹ֔ו וְלַעֲשֹׂ֥ות כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתֹּ֖ו וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבֹּֽו׃

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 וְאֶת־בְּנֹותֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּחֹ֥ות וּלְטַבָּחֹ֖ות וּלְאֹפֹֽות׃

He will take your daughters and have them work as perfume-makers, cooks, and bakers.

14 וְאֶת־שְׂ֠דֹֽותֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטֹּובִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו׃

He will take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves and give them to his officials.

15 וְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו׃

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 וְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְחֹ֨ותֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטֹּובִ֛ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹורֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָׂ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתֹּֽו׃

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 צֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־לֹ֥ו לַעֲבָדִֽים׃

He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his slaves.

18 וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיֹּ֣ום הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיֹּ֥ום הַהֽוּא׃

On that day you will plead to be rescued from the king you have chosen, but the Lord won't answer you then.”

19 וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּקֹ֣ול שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ׃

But the people refused to listen to what Samuel said. “No!” they insisted. “We want our own king!

20 וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגֹּויִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ׃

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 וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵ֖ם בְּאָזְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ פ

Samuel listened to everything the people said and repeated it to the Lord.

22 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙ שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹולָ֔ם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם מֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֹֽו׃ פ

The Lord told Samuel, “Do what they say and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the Israelites, “Go back to your homes.”