1And it came to pass, when Shmu’el was old, that he made his sons shoftim over Yisra’el. 2Now the name of his first-born was Yo’el; and the name of his second, AviYah; they were shoftim in Be’er Shava. 3And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted justice.
4Then all the elders of Yisra’el gathered themselves together, and came to Shmu’el unto Ramah. 5And they said unto him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons walk not in your ways; now make us a melekh to judge us like all the nations.” 6But the thing displeased Shmu’el, when they said, “Give us a melekh to judge us.” And Shmu’el prayed unto יהוה .
7And יהוה said unto Shmu’el, “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not be melekh over them. 8According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Mitzrayim even unto this day, in that they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto you. 9Now therefore hearken unto their voice; however, you shall earnestly forewarn them, and shall declare unto them the manner of the melekh that shall reign over them.”
10And Shmu’el told all the words of יהוה unto the people that asked of him a melekh. 11And he said, “This will be the manner of the melekh that shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them unto him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots. 12And he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands, and captains of fifties; and to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and the instruments of his chariots. 13And he will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. 15And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. 16And he will take your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and your goodliest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17He will take the tenth of your flocks; and you shall be his servants. 18And you shall cry out in that day because of your melekh whom you shall have chosen yourself; and יהוה will not answer you in that day.” 19But the people refused to hearken unto the voice of Shmu’el; and they said, “Nay; but there shall be a melekh over us; 20that we also may be like all the nations; and that our melekh may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” 21And Shmu’el heard all the words of the people, and he spoke them in the ears of יהוה .
22And יהוה said to Shmu’el, “Hearken unto their voice, and make them a melekh.” And Shmu’el said unto the men of Yisra’el, “Go, every man unto his city.”
אוַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר זָקֵן שְׁמוּאֵל; וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת בָּנָיו שֹׁפְטִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. בוַיְהִי שֶׁם בְּנוֹ הַבְּכוֹר יוֹאֵל וְשֵׁם מִשְׁנֵהוּ אֲבִיָּה שֹׁפְטִים בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע. גוְלֹא הָלְכוּ בָנָיו בִּדְרָכָו וַיִּטּוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבָּצַע; וַיִּקְחוּ שֹׁחַד וַיַּטּוּ מִשְׁפָּט.
דוַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ כֹּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתָה. הוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אַתָּה זָקַנְתָּ וּבָנֶיךָ לֹא הָלְכוּ בִּדְרָכֶיךָ; עַתָּה שִׂימָה לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם. ווַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי שְׁמוּאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמְרוּ תְּנָה לָּנוּ מֶלֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵנוּ; וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל יהוה .
זוַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹל הָעָם לְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יֹאמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ: כִּי לֹא אֹתְךָ מָאָסוּ כִּי אֹתִי מָאֲסוּ מִמְּלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם. חכְּכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ מִיּוֹם הַעֲלֹתִי אוֹתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וַיַּעַזְבֻנִי וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים כֵּן הֵמָּה עֹשִׂים גַּם לָךְ. טוְעַתָּה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם: אַךְ כִּי הָעֵד תָּעִיד בָּהֶם וְהִגַּדְתָּ לָהֶם מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיהֶם.
יוַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי יהוה אֶל הָעָם הַשֹּׁאֲלִים מֵאִתּוֹ מֶלֶךְ. יאוַיֹּאמֶר זֶה יִהְיֶה מִשְׁפַּט הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִמְלֹךְ עֲלֵיכֶם: אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם יִקָּח וְשָׂם לוֹ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו וְרָצוּ לִפְנֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ. יבוְלָשׂוּם לוֹ שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים; וְלַחֲרֹשׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ וְלִקְצֹר קְצִירוֹ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כְּלֵי מִלְחַמְתּוֹ וּכְלֵי רִכְבּוֹ. יגוְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיכֶם יִקָּח לְרַקָּחוֹת וּלְטַבָּחוֹת וּלְאֹפוֹת. ידוְאֶת שְׂדוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת כַּרְמֵיכֶם וְזֵיתֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים יִקָּח; וְנָתַן לַעֲבָדָיו. טווְזַרְעֵיכֶם וְכַרְמֵיכֶם יַעְשֹׂר; וְנָתַן לְסָרִיסָיו וְלַעֲבָדָיו. טזוְאֶת עַבְדֵיכֶם וְאֶת שִׁפְחוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת בַּחוּרֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים וְאֶת חֲמוֹרֵיכֶם יִקָּח; וְעָשָׂה לִמְלַאכְתּוֹ. יזצֹאנְכֶם יַעְשֹׂר; וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לוֹ לַעֲבָדִים. יחוּזְעַקְתֶּם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִלִּפְנֵי מַלְכְּכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתֶּם לָכֶם; וְלֹא יַעֲנֶה יהוה אֶתְכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא. יטוַיְמָאֲנוּ הָעָם לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל שְׁמוּאֵל; וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא כִּי אִם מֶלֶךְ יִהְיֶה עָלֵינוּ. כוְהָיִינוּ גַם אֲנַחְנוּ כְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם; וּשְׁפָטָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ וְיָצָא לְפָנֵינוּ וְנִלְחַם אֶת מִלְחֲמֹתֵנוּ. כאוַיִּשְׁמַע שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הָעָם; וַיְדַבְּרֵם בְּאָזְנֵי יהוה .
כבוַיֹּאמֶר יהוה אֶל שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ; וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל אַנְשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְכוּ אִישׁ לְעִירוֹ.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 