I Samuelis 8
1 Factum est autem cum senuisset Samuel, posuit filios suos judices Israël.
Now when Samuel was old, he made his sons judges over Israel.
2 Fuitque nomen filii ejus primogeniti Joël: et nomen secundi Abia, judicum in Bersabee.
The name of his first son was Joel and the name of his second Abijah: they were judges in Beer-sheba.
3 Et non ambulaverunt filii illius in viis ejus: sed declinaverunt post avaritiam, acceperuntque munera, et perverterunt judicium.
And his sons did not go in his ways, but moved by the love of money took rewards, and were not upright in judging.
4 Congregati ergo universi majores natu Israël, venerunt ad Samuelem in Ramatha.
Then all the responsible men of Israel got together and went to Samuel at Ramah,
5 Dixeruntque ei: Ecce tu senuisti, et filii tui non ambulant in viis tuis: constitue nobis regem, ut judicet nos, sicut et universæ habent nationes.
And said to him, See now, you are old, and your sons do not go in your ways: give us a king now to be our judge, so that we may be like the other nations.
6 Displicuit sermo in oculis Samuelis, eo quod dixissent: Da nobis regem, ut judicet nos. Et oravit Samuel ad Dominum.
But Samuel was not pleased when they said to him, Give us a king to be our judge. And Samuel made prayer to the Lord.
7 Dixit autem Dominus ad Samuelem: Audi vocem populi in omnibus quæ loquuntur tibi: non enim te abjecerunt, sed me, ne regnem super eos.
And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to the voice of the people and what they say to you: they have not been turned away from you, but they have been turned away from me, not desiring me to be king over them.
8 Juxta omnia opera sua quæ fecerunt, a die qua eduxi eos de Ægypto usque ad diem hanc: sicut dereliquerunt me, et servierunt diis alienis, sic faciunt etiam tibi.
As they have done from the first, from the day when I took them out of Egypt till this day, turning away from me and worshipping other gods, so now they are acting in the same way to you.
9 Nunc ergo vocem eorum audi: verumtamen contestare eos, et prædic eis jus regis, qui regnaturus est super eos.
Give ear now to their voice: but make a serious protest to them, and give them a picture of the sort of king who will be their ruler.
10 Dixit itaque Samuel omnia verba Domini ad populum, qui petierat a se regem.
And Samuel said all these words of the Lord to the people who were desiring a king.
11 Et ait: Hoc erit jus regis, qui imperaturus est vobis: filios vestros tollet, et ponet in curribus suis: facietque sibi equites et præcursores quadrigarum suarum,
And he said, This is the sort of king who will be your ruler: he will take your sons and make them his servants, his horsemen, and drivers of his war-carriages, and they will go running before his war-carriages;
12 et constituet sibi tribunos, et centuriones, et aratores agrorum suorum, et messores segetum, et fabros armorum et curruum suorum.
And he will make them captains of thousands and of fifties; some he will put to work ploughing and cutting his grain and making his instruments of war and building his war-carriages.
13 Filias quoque vestras faciet sibi unguentarias, et focarias, et panificas.
Your daughters he will take to be makers of perfumes and cooks and bread-makers.
14 Agros quoque vestros, et vineas, et oliveta optima tollet, et dabit servis suis.
He will take your fields and your vine-gardens and your olive-gardens, all the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15 Sed et segetes vestras et vinearum reditus addecimabit, ut det eunuchis et famulis suis.
He will take a tenth of your seed and of the fruit of your vines and give it to his servants.
16 Servos etiam vestros, et ancillas, et juvenes optimos, et asinos, auferet, et ponet in opere suo.
He will take your men-servants and your servant-girls, and the best of your oxen and your asses and put them to his work.
17 Greges quoque vestros addecimabit, vosque eritis ei servi.
He will take a tenth of your sheep: and you will be his servants.
18 Et clamabitis in die illa a facie regis vestri, quem elegistis vobis: et non exaudiet vos Dominus in die illa, quia petistis vobis regem.
Then you will be crying out because of your king whom you have taken for yourselves; but the Lord will not give you an answer in that day.
19 Noluit autem populus audire vocem Samuelis, sed dixerunt: Nequaquam: rex enim erit super nos,
But the people gave no attention to the voice of Samuel; and they said, No, but we will have a king over us,
20 et erimus nos quoque sicut omnes gentes: et judicabit nos rex noster, et egredietur ante nos, et pugnabit bella nostra pro nobis.
So that we may be like the other nations, and so that our king may be our judge and go out before us to war.
21 Et audivit Samuel omnia verba populi, et locutus est ea in auribus Domini.
Then Samuel, after hearing all the people had to say, went and gave an account of it to the Lord.
22 Dixit autem Dominus ad Samuelem: Audi vocem eorum, et constitue super eos regem. Et ait Samuel ad viros Israël: Vadat unusquisque in civitatem suam.
And the Lord said to Samuel, Give ear to their voice and make a king for them. Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, Let every man go back to his town.
