The First Book of Samuel, Chapter 8שמואל א 8

וַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר זָקֵ֖ן שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת בָּנָ֛יו שֹׁפְטִ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל

And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

וַיְהִ֞י שֶׁם בְּנ֤וֹ הַבְּכוֹר֙ יוֹאֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם מִשְׁנֵ֖הוּ אֲבִיָּ֑ה שֹׁפְטִ֖ים בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע

Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: judges in Beersheba.

וְלֹֽא הָלְכ֤וּ בָנָיו֙ בדרכו בִּדְרָכָ֔יו וַיִּטּ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַבָּ֑צַע וַיִּ֨קְחוּ שֹׁ֔חַד וַיַּטּ֖וּ מִשְׁפָּֽט

And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

וַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ כֹּ֖ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הָרָמָֽתָה

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah,

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֽׂימָה לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִֽם

And said to him, Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

וַיֵּ֤רַע הַדָּבָר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמְר֔וּ תְּנָה לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֖לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֑נוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אֶל יְהוָֽה

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed to YHWH.

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

And YHWH said to Samuel, Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to you: for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

כְּכָֽל הַמַּעֲשִׂ֣ים אֲשֶׁר עָשׂ֗וּ מִיּוֹם֩ הַעֲלֹתִ֨י אֹתָ֤ם מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ וְעַד הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַזְבֻ֔נִי וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים כֵּ֛ן הֵ֥מָּה עֹשִׂ֖ים גַּם לָֽךְ

According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.

וְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלָ֑ם אַ֗ךְ כִּֽי הָעֵ֤ד תָּעִיד֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם

Now therefore hearken to their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly to them, and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה אֶל הָעָ֕ם הַשֹּׁאֲלִ֥ים מֵאִתּ֖וֹ מֶֽלֶךְ

And Samuel told all the words of YHWH to the people that asked of him a king.

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָׂ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ

And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint for himself, for his chariots, and his horsemen; and shall run before his chariots.

וְלָשׂ֣וּם ל֔וֹ שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲרֹ֤שׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִיר֔וֹ וְלַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כְּלֵֽי מִלְחַמְתּ֖וֹ וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבּֽוֹ

And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.

וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּח֥וֹת וּלְטַבָּח֖וֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת

And he will take your daughters confectionaries, and cooks, and bakers.

וְאֶת שְׂ֠דֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטּוֹבִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו

And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, the best , and give to his servants.

וְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו

And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

וְאֶת עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטּוֹבִ֛ים וְאֶת חֲמוֹרֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָׂ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ

And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put to his work.

צֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹׂ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ ל֥וֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים

He will take the tenth of your sheep: and you shall be his servants.

וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא יַעֲנֶ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא

And you shall cry out in that day because of your king which you shall have chosen you; and YHWH will not hear you in that day.

וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ

Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;

וְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֤נוּ מַלְכֵּ֨נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ

That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.

וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל דִּבְרֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵ֖ם בְּאָזְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה

And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of YHWH.

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֤ה אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל֙ שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלָ֔ם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם מֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ

And YHWH said to Samuel, Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel, Go you every man to his city.