And it happened,וַיְהִיwhenכַּאֲשֶׁרSamuelשְׁמוּאֵלgrew old,זָקֵןthat he madeוַיָּשֶׂםhis sonsאֶת בָּנָיוjudgesשֹׁפְטִיםover Israel.לְיִשְׂרָאֵל
The nameוַיְהִי שֶׁםof his firstbornבְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹרwasJoel,יוֹאֵלand the nameוְשֵׁםof his secondמִשְׁנֵהוּAbijah;אֲבִיָּהthey werejudgesשֹׁפְטִיםin Beersheba.בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע
But his sonsוְ בָנָיוdid notלֹאwalkהָלְכוּin his ways;בִּדְרָכָיוthey turned asideוַיִּטּוּafterאַחֲרֵיgain,הַבָּצַעand tookוַיִּקְחוּbribes,שֹׁחַדand pervertedוַיַּטּוּjustice.מִשְׁפָּט
Then allכֹּלthe eldersזִקְנֵיof Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלgathered togetherוַיִּתְקַבְּצוּand cameוַיָּבֹאוּtoאֶלSamuelשְׁמוּאֵלat Ramahהָרָמָתָה
and saidוַיֹּאמְרוּto him,אֵלָיו“Look,הִנֵּהyouאַתָּהhave grown old,זָקַנְתָּand your sonsוּבָנֶיךָdo notלֹאwalkהָלְכוּin your ways.בִּדְרָכֶיךָNowעַתָּהappointשִׂימָהfor usלָּנוּa kingמֶלֶךְto judge usלְשָׁפְטֵנוּlike allכְּכָלthe nations.”הַגּוֹיִם
But the thingהַדָּבָרwas displeasingוַיֵּרַעin the eyesבְּעֵינֵיof Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלwhenכַּאֲשֶׁרthey said,אָמְרוּ“Giveתְּנָהusלָּנוּa kingמֶלֶךְto judge us.”לְשָׁפְטֵנוּAnd Samuelוַ שְׁמוּאֵלprayedיִּתְפַּלֵּלtoאֶלYHWH.יְהוָה
And YHWHיְהוָהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלSamuel,שְׁמוּאֵל“Listenשְׁמַעto the voiceבְּקוֹלof the peopleהָעָםin allלְכֹלthatאֲשֶׁרthey sayיֹאמְרוּto you;אֵלֶיךָforכִּיit is notלֹאyouאֹתְךָthey have despised,מָאָסוּbutכִּיmeאֹתִיthey have despisedמָאֲסוּfrom reigningמִמְּלֹךְover them.עֲלֵיהֶם
According to allכְּכָלthe deedsהַמַּעֲשִׂיםthatאֲשֶׁרthey have doneעָשׂוּfrom the dayמִיּוֹםI broughtהַעֲלֹתִיthemאֹתָםup from Egyptמִמִּצְרַיִםtoוְעַדthisהַזֶּהday,הַיּוֹםforsaking meוַיַּעַזְבֻנִיand servingוַיַּעַבְדוּotherאֲחֵרִיםgods,אֱלֹהִיםsoכֵּןtheyהֵמָּהare doingעֹשִׂיםto youלָךְalso.גַּם
And now,וְעַתָּהlistenשְׁמַעto their voice;בְּקוֹלָםonlyאַךְ כִּיyou shall solemnly testifyהָעֵד תָּעִידagainst themבָּהֶםand declareוְהִגַּדְתָּto themלָהֶםthe rightמִשְׁפַּטof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְwhoאֲשֶׁרwill reignיִמְלֹךְover them.”עֲלֵיהֶם
So Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלtoldוַיֹּאמֶרallאֵת כָּלthe wordsדִּבְרֵיof YHWHיְהוָהtoאֶלthe peopleהָעָםwho were askingהַשֹּׁאֲלִיםof himמֵאִתּוֹa king.מֶלֶךְ
And he said,וַיֹּאמֶר“Thisזֶהwill beיִהְיֶהthe rightמִשְׁפַּטof the kingהַמֶּלֶךְwhoאֲשֶׁרwill reignיִמְלֹךְover you:עֲלֵיכֶםyour sonsאֶת בְּנֵיכֶםhe will takeיִקָּחand appointוְשָׂםfor himselfלוֹin his chariotsבְּמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹand among his horsemen,וּבְפָרָשָׁיוand they will runוְרָצוּbeforeלִפְנֵיhis chariots;מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ
and he will appointוְלָשׂוּםfor himselfלוֹchiefsשָׂרֵיof thousandsאֲלָפִיםand chiefsוְשָׂרֵיof fifties,חֲמִשִּׁיםand some to plowוְלַחֲרֹשׁhis plowlandחֲרִישׁוֹand to reapוְלִקְצֹרhis harvest,קְצִירוֹand to makeוְלַעֲשׂוֹתhis weaponsכְּלֵיof warמִלְחַמְתּוֹand the equipmentוּכְלֵיof his chariots.רִכְבּוֹ
Your daughtersוְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיכֶםhe will takeיִקָּחas perfumersלְרַקָּחוֹתand cooksוּלְטַבָּחוֹתand bakers.וּלְאֹפוֹת
Your fieldsוְאֶת שְׂדוֹתֵיכֶםand your vineyardsוְאֶת כַּרְמֵיכֶםand your olive groves,וְזֵיתֵיכֶםthe best ones,הַטּוֹבִיםhe will takeיִקָּחand giveוְנָתַןto his servants.לַעֲבָדָיו
Of your grainוְזַרְעֵיכֶםand your vineyardsוְכַרְמֵיכֶםhe will take a tenthיַעְשֹׂרand give itוְנָתַןto his officialsלְסָרִיסָיוand to his servants.וְלַעֲבָדָיו
Your male slavesוְאֶת עַבְדֵיכֶםand your female slavesוְאֶת שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶםand your bestהַטּוֹבִיםyoung menוְאֶת בַּחוּרֵיכֶםand your donkeysוְאֶת חֲמוֹרֵיכֶםhe will takeיִקָּחand put them toוְעָשָׂהhis work.לִמְלַאכְתּוֹ
Of your flocksצֹאנְכֶםhe will take a tenth,יַעְשֹׂרand youוְאַתֶּםwill becomeתִּהְיוּhisלוֹslaves.לַעֲבָדִים
And you will cry outוּזְעַקְתֶּםon thatהַהוּאdayבַּיּוֹםbecause ofמִלִּפְנֵיyour kingמַלְכְּכֶםwhomאֲשֶׁרyou have chosenבְּחַרְתֶּםfor yourselves,לָכֶםbut YHWHוְ יְהוָהwill notלֹאanswerיַעֲנֶהyouאֶתְכֶםon thatהַהוּאday.”בַּיּוֹם
But the peopleוַ הָעָםrefusedיְמָאֲנוּto listenלִשְׁמֹעַto the voiceבְּקוֹלof Samuel,שְׁמוּאֵלand they said,וַיֹּאמְרוּ“No,לֹּאbutכִּי אִםthere shall beיִהְיֶהa kingמֶלֶךְover us,עָלֵינוּ
so that we alsoוְ גַםmay beהָיִינוּourselvesאֲנַחְנוּlike allכְּכָלthe nations,הַגּוֹיִםand our kingמַלְכֵּנוּwill judge usוּשְׁפָטָנוּand go outוְיָצָאbefore usלְפָנֵינוּand fightוְנִלְחַםour wars.”אֶת מִלְחֲמֹתֵנוּ
And Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלheardוַיִּשְׁמַעallאֵת כָּלthe wordsדִּבְרֵיof the peopleהָעָםand spoke themוַיְדַבְּרֵםin the earsבְּאָזְנֵיof YHWH.יְהוָה
And YHWHיְהוָהsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלSamuel,שְׁמוּאֵל“Listenשְׁמַעto their voiceבְּקוֹלָםand makeוְהִמְלַכְתָּthemלָהֶםa king.”מֶלֶךְAnd Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלsaidוַיֹּאמֶרtoאֶלthe menאַנְשֵׁיof Israel,יִשְׂרָאֵל“Go,לְכוּeach oneאִישׁto his city.”לְעִירוֹ