1 و َلَمّا شاخَ صَمُوئِيلُ، عَيَّنَ ابنَيهِ قاضِيَينِ لإسْرائِيلَ.

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges in Israel.

2 و َكانَ اسْمُ ابنِهِ الأوَّلِ يُوئِيلَ، وَالثّانِي أبِيّا. وَكانَ يُوئِيلُ وَأبِيّا قاضِيَينِ فِي بِئرِ السَّبعِ.

The name of his first-born son was Joel. And the name of his second son was Abijah. They were men who judged in Beersheba.

3 ل َكِنَّ ابنَي صَمُوئِيلَ لَمْ يَعِيشا باستِقامَةٍ مِثلَ أبِيهِما، بَلِ انْحَرَفا وَراءَ رِبْحِ المالِ بِالرَّشاوِي وَظُلْمِ النَّاسِ.

But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside to get money. They took pay to do things that were not right and fair.

4 ف اجتَمَعَ كُلُّ شُيُوخِ إسْرائِيلَ مَعاً، وَذَهَبُوا إلَى الرّامَةِ لِلِقاءِ صَمُوئِيلَ.

Then all the leaders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

5 و َقالُوا لَهُ: «أنْتَ شِخْتَ، وَابْناكَ لا يَعِيشانِ حَياةً مُستَقِيمَةً مِثلَكَ، وَالآنَ عَيِّنْ مَلِكاً لِيَحكُمْ عَلَينا كَما هُوَ الحالُ عِندَ كُلِّ الأُمَمِ الأُخرَى.»

They said to him, “See, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Choose a king to rule over us like all the nations.”

6 ط َلَبَ الشُّيُوخُ مَلِكاً، فَاسْتاءَ صَمُوئِيلُ وَصَلَّى إلَى اللهِ.

But Samuel was not pleased when they said, “Give us a king to rule over us.” And Samuel prayed to the Lord.

7 ف َأجابَ اللهُ صَمُوئِيلَ: «افعَلْ ما طَلَبَهُ الشَّعبُ مِنكَ. إنَّهُمْ لا يَرفُضُونَكَ أنتَ، بَلْ يَرفُضُونَنِي أنا. إذْ لا يُرِيدُونَنِي أنْ أكُونَ مَلِكاً عَلَيهِمْ.

The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all they say to you. For they have not turned away from you. They have turned away from Me, that I should not be king over them.

8 و َهُمْ يَفعَلُونَ ما فَعَلُوهُ عَلَى الدَّوامِ. فَبَعدَ أنْ أخْرَجتُهُمْ مِنْ مِصْرَ قَدِيماً، تَرَكُونِي وَعَبَدُوا آلِهَةً أُخْرَى. وَهُمْ يَعمَلُونَ الأمْرَ نَفسَهُ بِكَ.

They are doing to you what they have done since the day I brought them out of Egypt until now. They have turned away from Me and worshiped other gods.

9 ف َاسْتَمِعْ إلَى الشَّعبِ، وَافعَلْ ما يَقُولُونَهُ. لَكِنْ حَذِّرْهُمْ. وَأخبِرهُمْ بِما يُمكِنُ أنْ يَفعَلَهُ المَلِكُ بِهِمْ. وَاشرَحْ لَهُمْ كَيفَ يُمكِنُ للِمَلِكِ أنْ يَحكُمَ شَعباً.»

So listen to their voice. But tell them of the danger and show them the ways of the king who will rule over them.”

10 ط َلَبَ هَؤُلاءِ مَلِكاً. فَأخبَرَهُمْ صَمُوئِيلُ كُلَّ ما قالَهُ اللهُ.

So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who had asked him for a king.

11 ق الَ صَمُوئِيلُ: «إنْ حَكَمَكُمْ مَلِكٌ، فَهَذا ما سَيَفعَلُهُ: سَيَأخُذُ أولادَكُمْ لَيَقُودُوا مَركَباتِهِ وَيَصِيرُوا فُرْساناً فِي جَيشِهِ وَيَركُضُوا أمامَ عَرَبَتِهِ.

He said, “This will be the way the king will rule over you. He will take your sons and make them drive his war-wagons, be his horsemen, and run in front of his war-wagons.

12 « سَيُجْبِرُ المَلِكُ أولادَكُمْ عَلَى دُخُولِ جَيشِهِ. هُوَ سَيَختارُ مَنْ سَيَكُونُونَ قادَةَ أُلُوفٍ أوْ قادَةَ خَماسِينَ. سَيُجبِرُ المَلِكُ بَنِيكُمْ على العَمَلِ فِي حِراثَةِ حُقولِهِ وَجَمْعِ حَصادِهِ وَصُنْعِ أسلِحَةٍ وَأدَواتٍ لِمَركَباتِهِ.

He will choose leaders of thousands and of fifties. He will choose men to plow his ground, gather his grain, and make objects for war and for his war-wagons.

13 « سَيَأخُذُ المَلِكُ بَناتَكُمْ لِيَعمَلْنَ صانِعاتِ عُطُورٍ وَطَبّاخاتٍ وَخَبّازاتٍ.

He will take your daughters to make perfume, work with the food, and make bread.

14 « سَيَأخُذُ المَلِكُ أفْضَلَ حُقُولِكُمْ وَكُرُومِكُمْ وَبَساتِينِ زَيتُونِكُمْ. سَيَنتَزِعُها مِنكُمْ وَيُعطِيها لِضُبّاطِهِ وَمَسؤُولِيهِ.

He will take the best of your fields and vines and olives, and give them to his servants.

15 و َسَيَأخُذُ عُشْرَ مَزرُوعاتِكُمْ وَعِنَبِكُمْ وَسَيُعطِيها لِضُبّاطِهِ وَمَسؤُولِيهِ.

He will take a tenth part of your grain and your vines to give to his leaders and his servants.

16 « سَيَأخُذُ المَلِكُ خَدَمَكُمْ وَخادِماتِكُمْ. وَسَيَأخُذُ خِيارَ بَقَرِكُمْ وَحَمِيرِكُمْ. وَسَيَستَعمِلُها كُلَّها لِشُغلِهِ الخاصِّ.

He will take your men servants and your women servants and the best of your cattle and your donkeys, and use them for his work.

17 و َسَيَأخُذُ عُشْرَ مَواشِيكُمْ. وَسَتَصِيرُونَ أنتُمْ أنفُسُكُمْ عَبِيداً لِلمَلِكِ.

He will take a tenth part of your flocks, and you yourselves will be made to work for him.

18 ح ِينَئِذٍ، سَتَصرُخُونَ ضِيقاً مِنَ المَلِكِ الَّذِي اختَرتُمُوهُ. لَكِنَّ اللهَ لَنْ يَستَجِيبَ لَكُمْ فِي ذَلِكَ الوَقتِ.»

You will cry out in that day because of your king you have chosen for yourselves. But the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

19 ل َكِنَّ الشَّعبَ رَفَضُوا أنْ يُصغُوا إلَى صَمُوئِيلَ. وَقالُوا: «لا، بَلْ نُرِيدُ أنْ يَحكُمَنا مَلِكٌ.

But the people would not listen to Samuel. They said, “No! We will have a king rule over us,

20 ح ِينَئِذِ سَنَكُونُ مِثلَ الأُمَمِ الأُخرَى، فَيَقُودُنا مَلِكٌ وَيُحارِبُ حُرُوبَنا.»

so we may be like other nations. Our king may rule over us and go out before us and fight our battles.”

21 ف َسَمِعَ صَمُوئِيلُ ما قالَهُ الشَّعبُ، وَتَكَلَّمْ بِهِ عَلَى مَسامِعِ اللهِ.

After Samuel heard all the people’s words, he told the Lord what they had said.

22 ف َأجابَ اللهُ: «اسمَعْ لَهُمْ وَنَصِّبْ عَلَيهِمْ مَلِكاً.» فَقالَ صَمُوئِيلُ لِشُيُوخِ إسْرائِيلَ: «سَيَكُونُ لَكُمْ مَلِكٌ. فاذهَبُوا الآنَ إلَى بُيُوتِكُمْ.»

The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to their voice, and choose a king for them.” So Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every one of you go home to his city.”