Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 8
8
1When Sh’mu’el grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Isra’el. 2His firstborn was named Yo’el, while his second son was named Aviyah; they were judges in Be’er-Sheva. 3However, his sons did not follow his way of life; they turned off it to pursue riches, so that they would take bribes to distort justice. 4All the leaders of Isra’el gathered themselves together, approached Sh’mu’el in Ramah 5and said to him, “Look, you have grown old, and your sons are not following your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” 6Sh’mu’el was not pleased to hear them say, “Give us a king to judge us”; so he prayed to Adonai. 7Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “Listen to the people, to everything they say to you; for it is not you they are rejecting; they are rejecting me; they don’t want me to be king over them. 8They are doing to you exactly what they have been doing to me, from the day I brought them out of Egypt until today, by abandoning me and serving other gods. 9So do what they say, but give them a sober warning, telling them what kinds of rulings their king will make.”
10Sh’mu’el reported everything Adonai had said to the people asking him for a king. 11He said, “Here is the kind of rulings your king will make: he will draft your sons and assign them to take care of his chariots, be his horsemen and be bodyguards running ahead of his chariots. 12He will appoint them to serve him as officers in charge of a thousand or of fifty, plowing his fields, gathering his harvest, and making his weapons and the equipment for his chariots. 13He will take your daughters and have them be perfume-makers, cooks and bakers. 14He will expropriate your fields, vineyards and olive groves — the very best of them! — and hand them over to his servants. 15He will take the ten-percent tax of your crops and vineyards and give it to his officers and servants. 16He will take your male and female servants, your best young men and your donkeys, and make them work for him. 17He will take the ten-percent tax of your flocks, and you will become his servants. 18When that happens, you will cry out on account of your king, whom you yourselves chose. But when that happens, Adonai will not answer you!”
19However, the people refused to listen to what Sh’mu’el told them, and they said, “No! We want a king over us, 20so that we can be like all the nations, with our king to judge us, lead us and fight our battles.” 21Sh’mu’el heard everything the people said and repeated them for Adonai to hear. 22Adonai said to Sh’mu’el, “Do what they ask, and set up a king for them.” So Sh’mu’el told the men of Isra’el, “Each of you, return to his city.”
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Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 8: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish Bible1 Kings 8
8
1And it came to pass when Samuel was old, that he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel.
2Now the name of his firstborn son was Joel: and the name of the second was Abia, judges in Bersabee.
3And his sons walked not in his ways: but they turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled came to Samuel to Ramatha.
5And they said to him: Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have.
6And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king, to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord.
7And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.
8According to all their works, they have done from the day that I brought them out of Egypt until this day: as they have forsaken me, and served strange gods, so do they also unto thee.
9Now therefore hearken to their voice: but yet testify to them, and foretell them the right of the king, that shall reign over them.
10Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him,
11And said: This will be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen to run before his chariots.
12And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots.
13Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers.
14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants.
15Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give his eunuchs and servants.
16Your servants also and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses he will take away, and put them to his work.
17Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants.
18And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves: and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king.
19But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said: Nay: but there shall be a king over us.
20And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles for us.
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord.
22And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.