Chapter 8

1And it was, when Samuel had grown old, that he appointed his sons judges for Israel.   אוַיְהִ֕י כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר זָקֵ֖ן שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיָּ֧שֶׂם אֶת־בָּנָ֛יו שֹׁפְטִ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
2And the name of his first born was Joel, and the name of the second, Abijah; they were judges in Beer-sheba.   בוַיְהִ֞י שֶׁם־בְּנ֚וֹ הַבְּכוֹר֙ יוֹאֵ֔ל וְשֵׁ֥ם מִשְׁנֵ֖הוּ אֲבִיָּ֑ה שֹׁפְטִ֖ים בִּבְאֵ֥ר שָֽׁבַע:
3And his sons did not walk in his ways, and they turned after gain, and they took bribes and perverted justice.   גוְלֹֽא־הָלְכ֚וּ בָנָיו֙ בִּדְרָכָ֔יו (כתיב בִּדְרָכָ֔ו) וַיִּטּ֖וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י הַבָּ֑צַע וַיִּ֨קְחוּ־שֹׁ֔חַד וַיַּטּ֖וּ מִשְׁפָּֽט:
and they turned: They themselves; (i.e., ‘va’yittu’ is an intransitive verb, of the ‘kal’ or simple conjugation).   ויטו: הם עצמם:
and they perverted: Something else; viz. justice. (I. e., ‘va’yattu’ is a transitive verb of the ‘hiph’il’ or causative conjugation.) And our Rabbis said: Samuel’s sons did not sin. They merely did not follow their father’s footsteps. While their father would travel to all places of Israel and judge them in their cities they did not do so, in order to increase the income of their sheriffs and scribes, (who were employed to summon the litigants to trial).   ויטו: דבר אחר, דהיינו המשפט ורבותינו אמרו (שבת נו א): לא חטאו בני שמואל, אלא לא הלכו בדרכי אביהן, שהיה מחזר בכל מקומות ישראל ושופטן בעריהן, והם לא עשו כן, כדי להרבות שכר לחזניהם ולסופריהם:
4And all the elders of Israel gathered, and came to Samuel, to Ramah.   דוַיִּֽתְקַבְּצ֔וּ כֹּ֖ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל הָרָמָֽתָה:
5And they said to him, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now, set up for us a king to judge us like all the nations."   הוַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֹֽימָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִֽם:
6And the thing was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," and Samuel prayed to the Lord.   ווַיֵּ֚רַע הַדָּבָר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמְר֔וּ תְּנָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֖לֶךְ לְשָׁפְטֵ֑נוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה:
And the thing was displeasing: because they said, ‘to judge us like all the nations.’   וירע הדבר: לפי שאמרו לשפטנו ככל הגוים:
7And the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people, according to all that they will say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from reigning over them.   זוַיֹּ֚אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל שְׁמַע֙ בְּק֣וֹל הָעָ֔ם לְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ כִּ֣י לֹ֚א אֹֽתְךָ֙ מָאָ֔סוּ כִּֽי־אֹתִ֥י מָאֲס֖וּ מִמְּלֹ֥ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם:
8Like all the deeds which they have done from the day I brought them up from Egypt, and until this day, and they forsook Me and served other gods; so are they doing to you.   חכְּכָֽל־הַמַּעֲשִֹ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־עָשֹ֗וּ מִיּוֹם֩ הַעֲלֹתִ֨י אוֹתָ֚ם מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ וְעַד־הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַזְבֻ֔נִי וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים כֵּ֛ן הֵ֥מָּה עֹשִֹ֖ים גַּם־לָֽךְ:
9And now, listen to their voice; except that you shall warn them, and tell them the manner of the king who will reign over them.   טוְעַתָּ֖ה שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלָ֑ם אַ֗ךְ כִּֽי־הָעֵ֚ד תָּעִיד֙ בָּהֶ֔ם וְהִגַּדְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֔ם מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיהֶֽם:
you shall warn them: that the fear of their king be upon them.   העד תעיד בהם: התרה בהם, שתהא אימת מלכם עליהם:
10And Samuel related all the words of the Lord to the people who asked of him a king.   יוַיֹּ֣אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה אֶל־הָעָ֕ם הַשֹּׁאֲלִ֥ים מֵאִתּ֖וֹ מֶֽלֶךְ:
11And he said, "This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you; he will take your sons, and appoint them to him for his chariots and for his horsemen, and they will run before his chariots.   יאוַיֹּ֕אמֶר זֶ֗ה יִֽהְיֶה֙ מִשְׁפַּ֣ט הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְלֹ֖ךְ עֲלֵיכֶ֑ם אֶת־בְּנֵיכֶ֣ם יִקָּ֗ח וְשָֹ֥ם לוֹ֙ בְּמֶרְכַּבְתּ֣וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁ֔יו וְרָצ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י מֶרְכַּבְתּֽוֹ:
12And he will appoint them to him commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and to plow his plowing and to reap his harvest, and to make his weapons and the equipment for his chariots.   יבוְלָשֹ֣וּם ל֔וֹ שָׂרֵ֥י אֲלָפִ֖ים וְשָׂרֵ֣י חֲמִשִּׁ֑ים וְלַחֲר֚שׁ חֲרִישׁוֹ֙ וְלִקְצֹ֣ר קְצִיר֔וֹ וְלַעֲשֹ֥וֹת כְּלֵֽי־מִלְחַמְתּ֖וֹ וּכְלֵ֥י רִכְבּֽוֹ:
and to make his weapons: to make them craftsmen, blacksmiths and carpenters.   ולעשות כלי מלחמתו: לעשות אותם אומנים ונפחים ונגרים:
13And he will take your daughters for his perfumers, for cooks, and for bakers.   יגוְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּח֥וֹת וּלְטַבָּח֖וֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת:
for perfumers: who prepare perfumes and spices for women’s cosmetics.   לרקחות: מתקנות מרקחים ובשמים, לתמרוקי נשיו:
14And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive trees, and will give them to his slaves.   ידוְאֶת־שְֹ֠דֽוֹתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־כַּרְמֵיכֶ֧ם וְזֵיתֵיכֶ֛ם הַטּוֹבִ֖ים יִקָּ֑ח וְנָתַ֖ן לַעֲבָדָֽיו:
15And he will tithe your grain crops and your vineyards, and he will give them to his officers and his slaves.   טווְזַרְעֵיכֶ֥ם וְכַרְמֵיכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹ֑ר וְנָתַ֥ן לְסָרִיסָ֖יו וְלַעֲבָדָֽיו:
16And he will take your male and female slaves, and your handsomest youths and your asses, and put them to his work.   טזוְאֶת־עַבְדֵיכֶם֩ וְֽאֶת־שִׁפְח֨וֹתֵיכֶ֜ם וְאֶת־בַּחוּרֵיכֶ֧ם הַטּוֹבִ֛ים וְאֶת־חֲמוֹרֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח וְעָשָֹ֖ה לִמְלַאכְתּֽוֹ:
17And he will tithe your flocks, and you will be slaves to him.   יזצֹאנְכֶ֖ם יַעְשֹ֑ר וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְיוּ־ל֥וֹ לַעֲבָדִֽים:
18And you will cry out on that day because of your king, whom you will have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not answer you on that day.   יחוּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֹֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא:
19And the people refused to listen to Samuel's voice, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us.   יטוַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ הָעָ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ בְּק֣וֹל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ לֹּ֔א כִּ֥י אִם־מֶ֖לֶךְ יִֽהְיֶ֥ה עָלֵֽינוּ:
20And also we shall be like all the nations, and our king will judge us, go forth before us and wage our wars."   כוְהָיִ֥ינוּ גַם־אֲנַ֖חְנוּ כְּכָל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וּשְׁפָטָ֚נוּ מַלְכֵּ֙נוּ֙ וְיָצָ֣א לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְנִלְחַ֖ם אֶת־מִלְחֲמֹתֵֽנוּ:
21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he spoke to them in the ears of the Lord.   כאוַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל אֵ֖ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַֽיְדַבְּרֵ֖ם בְּאָזְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
22And the Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and you shall make them a king." And Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go, every man to his city."   כבוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֚ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל֙ שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלָ֔ם וְהִמְלַכְתָּ֥ לָהֶ֖ם מֶ֑לֶךְ וַיֹּ֚אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶל־אַנְשֵׁ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לְכ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ לְעִירֽוֹ: