الشعب يطالب بملك عليهم
1 ولمَّا شاخَ صَموئيلُ أوكَلَ إلى بَنيهِ القضاءَ لإِسرائيلَ. 2 فكانَ ابنُه البِكْرُ يوئيلُ، وابنُهُ الثَّاني أبـيَّا، قاضِيَينِ في بِئرِ سَبعَ. 3 ولم يَقتَدِيا بِأبـيهِما، فسَعيا وراءَ المكاسِبِ، وقَبِلا الرَّشوةَ، واستَهانا بِالعَدالةِ.
4 فاجتمَعَ شُيوخُ بَني إسرائيلَ وجاؤُوا إلى صَموئيلَ في الرَّامةِ 5 وقالوا لَه: «أنتَ شِخْتَ، وبَنوكَ لا يقتَدونَ بِكَ، فأقِمْ علَينا مَلِكا يقضي بَينَنا كما هيَ الحالُ في جميعِ الأُمَمِ». 6 فاستاءَ صَموئيلُ مِنْ قولِهِم: «أقِمْ علَينا مَلِكا يقضي بَينَنا». فصلَّى إلى الرّبِّ. 7 فقالَ لَه الرّبُّ: «إسمَعْ لِكلامِ الشَّعبِ في جميعِ ما يقولونَ لكَ. فهُم لا يرفُضونَكَ أنتَ، وإنَّما يرفُضونَني أنا كَمَلِكٍ علَيهِم. 8 فكما عامَلوني مُنذُ أخرَجْتُهُم مِنْ أرضِ مِصْرَ إلى هذا اليومِ إذْ تركوني وعبَدوا آلِهةً غريـبةً، هكذا يُعامِلونَكَ أنتَ أيضا. 9 فاسمَعْ لِقولِهِم، ولكِنْ أنذِرْهُم وأخبِرهُم بِـحُقوقِ المَلِكِ علَيهِم».
10 فأخبَرَ صَموئيلُ شُيوخَ الشَّعبِ الّذينَ طَلَبوا مِنهُ مَلِكا بِـجميعِ ما كلَّمَه بهِ الرّبُّ، 11 وقالَ لهُم: «هذِهِ حُقوقُ المَلِكَ علَيكُم: يأخُذُ بَنيكُم ويُجَنِّدُهُم لِخَيلِهِ ومركباتِهِ وللجَري أمامَ مركبَتِهِ. 12 ويتَّخِذُ مِنهُم قادةَ ألفٍ وقادةَ خمسينَ وفلاَّحينَ وحصَّادينَ وصُنَّاعا لآلاتِ حربِهِ وأدَواتِ مركباتِهِ. 13 ويتَّخِذُ بَناتِكُم عطَّاراتٍ وطبَّاخاتٍ وخبَّازاتٍ. 14 ويأخُذُ أفضَلَ حُقولِكُم وكُرومِكُم وزيتونِكُم ويُعطيها لِرجالِهِ. 15 ويأخُذُ ضَريـبةَ العُشْرِ مِنْ زرعِكُم وكُرومِكُم ويُعطيهِ لِحاشيتِهِ وسائِرِ رِجالِهِ. 16 ويأخُذُ عبـيدُكُم وجَواريَكُم ونُخبةَ بقَرِكُم وحميرِكُم ويستَخدِمُها. 17 ويَجبـي ضَريـبةَ العُشْرِ مِنْ ماشيتِكُم، وأنتُم تكونونَ لَه عبـيدا. 18 في ذلِكَ اليومِ تصرُخونَ إلى الرّبِّ، كي يُنقِذَكُم مِنَ المَلِكِ الّذي اختَرتُموهُ لأنفُسِكُم، فلا يُجيـبُكُمُ الرّبُّ».
19 فرفَضَ شُيوخُ الشَّعبِ أنْ يَسمَعوا لِصَموئيلَ وقالوا: «كلاَّ، بل يَملِكُ علَينا مَلِكٌ. 20 ونكونُ نحنُ أيضا كسائِرِ الشُّعوبِ، فيَقضي بَينَنا ويكونُ قائِدَنا ويُحارِبُ حُروبَنا». 21 فسَمِـعَ صَموئيلُ هذا الكلامَ ورَدَّدَهُ على مَسامِـعِ الرّبِّ. 22 فقالَ لَه الرّبُّ: «إسمَعْ لهُم وأقِمْ علَيهِم مَلِكا». فقالَ صَموئيلُ لِشُيوخِ بَني إِسرائيلَ: «إنصَرِفوا الآنَ كُلُّ واحدٍ إلى مدينَتِهِ».
The People of Israel Want a King
1-2 Samuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father. They were dishonest and accepted bribes to give unfair decisions.
4 One day the nation's leaders came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said, “You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations. Choose one for us!”
6 Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it. 7 The Lord answered:
Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king. 8 Ever since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they are turning away from you. 9 Do everything they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them.
10 Samuel told the people who were asking for a king what the Lord had said:
11 If you have a king, this is how he will treat you. He will force your sons to join his army. Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot. 12 Some of them will be officers in charge of 1,000 soldiers, and others will be in charge of 50. Still others will have to farm the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots. 13 Your daughters will have to make perfume or do his cooking and baking.
14 The king will take your best fields, as well as your vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his own officials. 15 He will also take a tenth of your grain and grapes and give it to his officers and officials.
16 The king will take your slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work. 17 He will also take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You will become the king's slaves, 18 and you will finally cry out for the Lord to save you from the king you wanted. But the Lord won't answer your prayers.
19-20 The people would not listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want to be like other nations. We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle.”
21 Samuel listened to them and then told the Lord exactly what they had said. 22 “Do what they want,” the Lord answered. “Give them a king.”
Samuel told the people to go back to their homes.
