1 And it was, when Samuel was old, so he put his sons to judging Israel. 2 And the name of his firstborn son was Joel i and the name of his second Abijah, ii judges in Beersheba. 3 And his sons did not walk in his way iii and turned aside after the dishonest gain and took a bribe and turned aside judgment.
4 And all elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at the Height. 5 And they said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now, set for us a king to judge us as all the nations.” 6 And the matter was bad in Samuel's eyes when they said, “Give to us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to Yehvah.
7 And Yehvah said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people to all that they said to you. For they have not rejected you, but me they have rejected from king over them. 8 According to all the doings which they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt and unto this day. And they have forsaken me and served other gods. Thus, they are doing also to you. 9 And now, listen to their voice. However, testifying you shall testify among them and declare to them the judgment of the king how he shall rule over them.” 10 And Samuel spoke all the words of Yehvah to the people who asked from him a king.
11 And he said, “This shall be the judgment of the king who will reign over you. Your sons he will take and put for himself among his chariot and among his horsemen, and they shall run before his chariot 12 and to set for himself captains of thousands and captains of fifties and to plow his plowing and to harvest his harvest and to make instruments of his war and instruments of his chariot. 13 And your daughters he shall take for perfumers and for cooks and for bakers. 14 And your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves, the good ones he shall take and give to his servants. 15 And your seeds and your vineyards he shall tithe and give to his officers and to his servants. 16 And your servants and your maidservants and your young men, the good ones, and your donkeys he will take and make for his work. 17 And he will tithe your flock, and you will be for him for servants. 18 And you will cry out in that day from before your king that you chose for yourselves, and Yehvah will not answer you in that day.”
19 And the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel and said, “No, for indeed a king shall be over us. 20 And we shall also be as all the nations, and our king shall judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” 21 And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of Yehvah. 22 And Yehvah said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice and make a king reign for them.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Go, each to his city.”
Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf.
- יוֹאֵל (yo'êl) “Joel” - found also in 1 Chronicles 4:35; 5:4, 8, 12; 6:33, 36; 7:3; 11:38; 15:7, 11, 17; 23:8; 26:22; 27:20; 2 Chronicles 29:12; Ezra 10:43; Nehemiah 11:9; Joel 1:1. ^
- אֲבִיָּה ('aviyyâh) “Abijah” (Yah is my father) – found also in 1 Kings 14:1; 1 Chronicles 2:24; 3:10; 6:28; 7:8; 24:10; 2 Chronicles 11:20, 22; 12:16; 13:1-4, 15, 17, 19-22; 14:1; 29:1; Nehemiah 10:7; 12:4, 17 ^
- Kethib בִּדְרָכָו (bidrâkhâv) “his way”; qere בִּדְרָכָיו (bidrâkhâyv) “his ways” ^